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Residents and visitors of North Judson got a glimpse of the sun Monday, December 16 – despite the gloomy weather – with the installation of the Archway of the Sun. This new landmark marks the beginning of the “Our Solar System in Scale” (OSSIS) installation along the Erie Trail, a project designed to offer a unique blend of education, arts, culture, and exercise.

The Archway of the Sun, installed by Steindler Signs & Graphix, serves as the starting point for a multi-faceted project that was fully funded by the Lilly Endowment GIFT VII Placemaking Grant, awarded to the Starke County Community Foundation. The OSSIS installation is a scaled representation of our solar system, with the planets depicted at a scale of 1:355 million over several miles along the Erie Trail.

To explore OSSIS, visitors should begin at Main Street, just east of the Hoosier Valley Rail Museum in North Judson, and head east. The first four planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars – are within an easy 1-mile round-trip walk from the Archway of the Sun. However, for those seeking to explore the farther reaches of the solar system, including gas giants like Jupiter and Neptune, a longer journey is required. Neptune, for example, is located over 8 miles from the starting point, making bicycle travel a more practical option for the extended trek.

The Archway of the Sun, along with the sun information sign, joins the planetary markers previously installed by Outstanding Tradeshow Exhibit Services (OTES).

This project would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of numerous individuals and organizations. Special thanks are extended to Steindler Signs & Graphix, Outstanding Tradeshow Exhibit Services, Martin Lucas for his inspiration and design, Bob Aloi and Territorial Engineering, the Prairie Trails Club, Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, the Town of North Judson, and all others who contributed to bringing this vision to life.