Orrery

Machined in my workshop from solid brass & to my own design, this is an unusual suspended orrery. The six inner planets orbit the illuminated centre sun at their relative speeds, powered by a silent electric motor. The exposed gear train rotates the counterbalanced arms, while bevelled brass gears rotate steel drive shafts, giving relative motion to the moons orbiting Earth, Jupiter and Saturn. The spheres are of a variety of materials, some painted and varnished, while others are orbs of metal or Murano glass from Venice. The Earth globe is of etched Murano clear, and rests in a carrier at 23 degrees giving us our seasons.

Click the link to play a really great movie of the Orrery in motionĀ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihz2DEqPtB8

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Overall view showing gear train.

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View from below with sun illuminated

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An etched glass globe represents earth, with a metallic sphere for moon.