Mars Hill (Maine)
Encyclopedia
Mars Hill is a mountain
located in Mars Hill
, Maine
, and gave the town its name.
The mountain plays an important role in the Mars Hill community. It not only provides a dramatic backdrop for photographs, but also magnificent views from atop its peak. It overlooks the Saint John Valley, in which Mars Hill is located. Mount Katahdin
is visible from the top of Mars Hill over 85 miles (135 km) away. Mars Hill also has a ski area, called Big Rock Ski Area
.
By virtue of its location less than two miles from the border with New Brunswick
, Canada
, the summit of Mars Hill is the first place in the United States to see the sun rise for nearly half the year, from March 25 to September 18. The first 50-star flag
to see the sun in the U.S. was raised on July 4, 1960 at 4:33 AM. Fifty national guardsmen gave it a 50-gun salute.
project in the fall of 2006. Developers installed 28 General Electric
1.5 megawatt turbines along the top and northern sections of the mountain. With a capacity factor
of 35%, the wind farm generates about 130 million kilowatt hours (kW·h) per year (15 MW·yr/yr).
The wind turbines are assembled in multiple parts. The towers, which are composed of three support sections stacked one on top of another with a combined weight of 20,000 pounds, are 262 ft (80 m) tall. The three blades (together, a rotor) attached to the hub of the turbine each span approximately 115 ft (37.5 m), for a rotor diameter of approximately 250 feet — comparable to the wingspan
of a Boeing
747
jet-liner.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
located in Mars Hill
Mars Hill, Maine
Mars Hill is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,480 at the 2000 census.-History:The town is named for Hezekiah Mars, who camped for three years at the base of Mars Hill Mountain. In 1834, the first industry was cutting timber, particularly trees for masts....
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, and gave the town its name.
The mountain plays an important role in the Mars Hill community. It not only provides a dramatic backdrop for photographs, but also magnificent views from atop its peak. It overlooks the Saint John Valley, in which Mars Hill is located. Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin is the highest mountain in Maine at . Named Katahdin by the Penobscot Indians, the term means "The Greatest Mountain". Katahdin is the centerpiece of Baxter State Park: a steep, tall mountain formed from underground magma. The flora and fauna on the mountain are typical of those...
is visible from the top of Mars Hill over 85 miles (135 km) away. Mars Hill also has a ski area, called Big Rock Ski Area
Big Rock (ski resort)
Bigrock Ski Area is located in Mars Hill, Maine, on the western face of Mars Hill. It is one of the larger ski resorts in the State of Maine with 2 chairlifts, 26 trails, 80% snowmaking, night skiing, and almost 1000 ft of continuous vertical drop.-Terrain:Most of the terrain at...
.
By virtue of its location less than two miles from the border with New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the summit of Mars Hill is the first place in the United States to see the sun rise for nearly half the year, from March 25 to September 18. The first 50-star flag
Flag of the United States
The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...
to see the sun in the U.S. was raised on July 4, 1960 at 4:33 AM. Fifty national guardsmen gave it a 50-gun salute.
Wind farm
Mars Hill underwent an $85 million wind powerWind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
project in the fall of 2006. Developers installed 28 General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
1.5 megawatt turbines along the top and northern sections of the mountain. With a capacity factor
Capacity factor
The net capacity factor or load factor of a power plant is the ratio of the actual output of a power plant over a period of time and its potential output if it had operated at full nameplate capacity the entire time...
of 35%, the wind farm generates about 130 million kilowatt hours (kW·h) per year (15 MW·yr/yr).
The wind turbines are assembled in multiple parts. The towers, which are composed of three support sections stacked one on top of another with a combined weight of 20,000 pounds, are 262 ft (80 m) tall. The three blades (together, a rotor) attached to the hub of the turbine each span approximately 115 ft (37.5 m), for a rotor diameter of approximately 250 feet — comparable to the wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
of a Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
jet-liner.