Following is an announcement of a unique museum/planetarium education activity which combines astronomy, conservation, environmental science, and bicycling. We would appreciate your distributing this as widely as possible. Thank you. Sheldon Schafer, Lakeview Museum [log in to unmask] INTERPLANETARY BICYCLE RIDE Sponsored by UNITED STATES CELLULAR The longest and fastest bicycle ride in the Solar System JULY 20 & 21, 1996 Peoria, Illinois Partners Illinois Valley Wheelm'n Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences Friends of the Rock Island Trail Peoria Astronomical Society Peoria Academy of Sciences Follow the orbits of planetary explorers through the "Worlds Largest Model of the Solar System" A RIDE FOR EVERY LEVEL Depending on your planetary destination, there are options for every member of your family, for riders of all ages and abilities. For Example: Jupiter - Saturn - Jupiter (Rock Island Trail) 1.4 Billion miles (10 mi.) Sun - Jupiter - Sun (Sunday Morning City Streets) 2.0 Billion miles (13 mi.) Jupiter - Uranus - Jupiter (Rock Island Trail) 3.6 Billion miles (25 mi) Sun-Mercury-Venus-Earth-Mars-Jupiter-Saturn-Sun 3.9 Billion miles (30mi) Jupiter - Neptune - Jupiter (Rock Island Trail) 6.4 Billion miles (45 mi) Pluto via the Kuiper Comet Belt (Trail & County Roads) 14 Billion miles (100mi) WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION FEE --Saturday, July 20, 1996 - A "Century" ride to Pluto and back. --Sunday, July 21, 1996 Tour the inner solar system from the Sun to Saturn --Bragging Rights - who else can say they've cycled to Pluto --Reversal of the aging process - since ride speeds will be in excess of the speed of light (186,000 miles/second), there are relativistic implications. Some observers predict that riders may return younger than when they started. --Beautiful Central Illinois scenery & special rest stop exhibits --Well marked routes & high-quality maps --Outstanding food and drink at each stop and end of ride pasta & garlic bread --Support vehicle service & showers --Evening Star party. Observe the planets through the telescopes of the Peoria Astronomical Society. --Exciting Premium Package For a registration form (early 2 day fee $18/rider, $40/family, after July 12 add $3/rider), Please send a stamped, self addressed envelope to: Interplanetary Bicycle Ride Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences 1125 West Lake Avenue Peoria, Il 61614 - 5985 or E-mail to [log in to unmask] What is the Community Solar System? Lakeview Museum's Community Solar System is a unique museum exhibit on the Solar System spread across 60 miles of Central Illinois. The exhibit consists of a model of the sun and nine planets, where size and distance are represented on the same scale. Interpretative materials and a teacher's guide are also available. Since the space between the planets is enormous relative to the sizes of the planets, few models exist in the world which show the true scale of our solar system, since they would need to be miles across. Lakeview Museum's model includes true three dimensional models of each of the planets of our solar system. In addition to the planets, there are over 90 Unnamed Comets of the Kuiper Belt located throughout the World, including Germany, Denmark, Norway, Russia, Japan, Ecuador, Chile, and Antarctica. The model is recognized as the world's largest with entries in the 1993, 94, 95 and 1996 editions of The Guinness Book of Records. For more information and photographs, see the July, 1993 issue of Sky and Telescope (page 99-100) or the March 1995 issue of Discover Magazine (page 42-45).