GNS Student is Out of This World—Evan Papps’ Astronomical Accomplishments

For some, the enormity of outer space is incredibly daunting, but not for Evan Papps ’25 who has gravitated towards the subject in his time as a student at Glenlyon Norfolk School. Recently he’s embarked on not one, but two significant astronomical projects that are making news throughout the world. The YYJ Solar System Pathway has recently opened and his research paper was published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

1. The YYJ Solar System Pathway

Designed and led by Evan, the well-traveled walking and cycling Flight Path at the Victoria International Airport now comes with an engaging and interactive lesson on our solar system. The Solar System Pathway is a permanent installation that uses interpretive signs to represent the sun and eight planets, with each metre on the ground, roughly equal to 500,000 km in space.

Evan got the idea while on vacation. “A few years ago, I saw a similar solar system pathway on a smaller scale when I was visiting Iceland, so I was inspired to create my own version here on Vancouver Island. There are 10 signs—one sign with a map, one of the sun, and then one for each of the eight planets, and they’re installed along the pathway at proportionate distances from our sun. It shows how big our solar system is and how small we are, and because of that, I wanted to include ways that we can protect nature on Earth on the signs.”

Evan also included the wider community in this project, asking children to submit drawings of planets. These add a child’s perspective and a human element to the representations of far-off space, and help inspire the next generation of astronomers. He also included SENCOTEN words, as well as a territorial acknowledgment on each sign, out of respect for the original and enduring stewards of the land.

Finding the perfect location was the biggest challenge for Evan, who first started working on the project in December 2023 with a grant from the Invasive Species Council of BC. Evan organized additional support to build and install the signs from Don Mann Excavating Ltd., Nicholson Manufacturing Ltd., Takaya’s Legacy, Sarah Jim Studio and Chellekie Creations.

Evan has loved outer space since he was a young child. During the Covid lockdown he purchased a used telescope from a recent GNS graduate, which inspired him to learn more about our solar system. He hopes this installation inspires future astronomers and scientists. “I wanted to inspire that in other kids especially. But then I also wanted to include how to preserve our planet because that’s really important—we only have one Earth. Especially when we look at it from an astronomer’s perspective, it makes you appreciate Earth a lot more.”

The project has generated a lot of buzz around Vancouver Island, even catching the eye of Elizabeth May, Co-Leader of the Green Party of Canada: “This is a remarkable initiative that blends education, sustainability, and community spirit. The YYJ Solar System Pathway is a perfect example of how local projects can inspire both curiosity and environmental awareness, while celebrating the rich history of the Coast Salish peoples. I commend Evan and all those involved for their vision and commitment to our planet.”

Peter Jones, Mayor of North Saanich also celebrated Evan’s achievement: “The Solar System Pathway is a wonderful addition to our community and aligns with our commitment to environmental stewardship and education.”

The Solar System Pathway Trail can be enjoyed starting from the Jubilee Park playground in North Saanich. It continues for nine kilometres along the paved YYJ Flight Path.

2. Peer-Reviewed Research Paper

Evan has also been busy conducting exoplanet research through an astrophysics research program at George Mason University. His groundbreaking scientific discoveries have now been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, Ground-based Light Curve Follow-up Validation observations of TESS object of interest TOI 5907.

Evan spent the summer between Grade 10 and 11 in a research program at Harvard University studying astrobiology and astrophysics. Here he was introduced to a modelling program called EXOFASTv2, and worked to analyse NASA’s telescope data to model exoplanets (planets that orbit stars other than our sun). 

Last year before entering Grade 12, Evan attended the highly competitive Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics and the Young Scholars Research Program at George Mason University, where he continued his research into exoplanets, specifically TESS object of interest TOI-5907.

This research involved stars and planets so far away, they barely show up as a dot of light through a telescope. Evan used a modelling program to determine the ratios of light coming from each star to help identify the stars and to begin to understand the existence and characteristics of surrounding planets. 

Evan and his professor, Dr. Peter Plavchan, Director of Mason Observatories, worked on a research paper published in the MARS Journal, a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Evan sums it up like this: “We used the telescope at George Mason University to try to determine what the chances are that there’s a planet there, with a lot of data processing and statistics.” Their paper is now available for the public to read,

Evan says not knowing the answer is the best motivator. “When you don’t know, you’re learning a lot better in my opinion, because you’re testing your actual fundamental knowledge constantly. Even when you’re working at a high level, it’s constantly backing that up and you’re reinforcing the things that you know.” IB Physics teacher Mr Jim Irvine shares that “Evan enjoys challenges and he doesn’t get hung up if he gets something wrong.” 

3. Preparing for…Liftoff!

Outside of his interest in astronomy, Evan is a well-rounded member of his community and an IB Diploma candidate at GNS. He says the well-balanced nature of the program has served him well. “I have a very broad range of interests. I don’t really have something I’m not interested in, in terms of academic subjects. I can find interest in all of the arts, social studies and the sciences. My course load reflects that because I tried to take everything.” 

Evan also appreciates the arts. He sings in the school choir and just finished a run as the male lead—Aaron Samuels—in Mean Girls the Musical. He has been involved in many theatre productions at GNS: “I love theatre because it’s a great break after school. I always look forward to the rehearsals and the productions during performance and tech week. And also it’s a great way to make friends—I’ve made a lot of friends that way. I would really highlight the musicals as one of the experiences that I think has been most valuable to me at GNS.”

As he prepares to wrap up his time at GNS and head to university, Evan says the small class sizes, personalized attention from teachers in his IB courses, and motivated students, have also supported his success. “I’m very satisfied because I can point to a lot of things that I’ve actually tangibly learned.” Evan’s teachers describe him as a very bright and kind human being. “It’s more of a collaboration with Evan than teaching,” Mr. Irvine shares. “I consider myself lucky to have been able to spend some time with him.”

After graduation, Evan plans to pursue aerospace engineering at university next year and possibly complemented by physics and/or astrophysics. We look forward to following the future adventures of this accomplished student. We are over the moon proud of Evan and the entire Class of 2025 and look forward to celebrating them further this year!