The park was thoughtfully constructed to reflect the science that took place there. An ellipse representing the Earth’s motion is created between the observatory and the meridian pier, denoted by benches and landscaping. The path itself, when viewed from above, represents the Earth’s wobble.

The City of Gaithersburg and five other cities around the globe are linked by a unique scientific endeavor that began more than 100 years ago. They are all home to latitude observatories which tracked the wobble of the Earth on its polar axis through star readings to aid in navigation. Other observatories can be found in Cincinnati, Ohio; Ukiah, California; Mizusawa, Japan; Kitab, Uzbekistan; and Caligari, Sardinia, Italy.