Welcome to Texas Southmost College!
Explore the TSC Solar System Walk
Texas Southmost College (TSC) is partnering with the South Texas Astronomical Society (STARS) and the City of Brownsville to restore and reinvent the Solar System Walk on our campus.
Learn, Share & Enjoy!
Most people know that the planets orbit the Sun, but it is difficult to visualize just how small the planets are compared to the immensity of the Sun. It is equally difficult to imagine the vast empty spaces between the planets.
Unlike most models of the solar system which display either the relative sizes of the planets or the relative distances between them, the TSC Solar System Walk does both, in real life and online.
For the Community by the Community!
So, why restore a scale model of the solar system in Brownsville? We all have our own ideas for what “big” means, but, of course, everything is relative. A car is big compared to a smart phone; a house is big compared to a car. These are things that we can compare to one another because we can see them on a regular basis. Something you don’t see or think about regularly, though, is just how “big” these objects really are when put in comparison to something as large as the solar system as a whole.
Access the Universe of Knowledge Online
Bike of Run the TSC Solar System Walk
Attend Solar System Lectures and Talks
STEM Workshops For Kids of All Ages
The SSW Planet Passport
Texas Southmost College SSW Planet Passport was conceived with a specific goal in mind: to use real-time scientific information wherever possible to educate and inspire our community. Astronomical observations form the scientific backbone of the Passport, as we integrate numerous interactive tools to provide a context for the many different scales of the cosmos — from the size of our home planet to the vast reaches of the largest structures in the universe.
Carefully blending art and science, the collaborative efforts of TSC staff, volunteers, Astrophysicists, and digital artists resulted in rich visuals that will allow audiences to experience the wonders of the universe as never before.
