# Mechanical clockwork machines showing movement of planets - Name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 23, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871 "2009-10-23T15:31:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/1 "2009-10-23T15:31:59Z")
In the 1600’s and 1700’s master clock makers often built elaborate machines showing the movement of the sun and plants. I have utterly forgotten the name of these devices and my google fu is failing. What were thay called? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/2 "2009-10-23T15:35:20Z")
I believe that would be an [orrery](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orrery). ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/3 "2009-10-23T15:35:34Z")
[An orrery.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orrery) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/4 "2009-10-23T15:38:41Z")
Thanks to both of you! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/5 "2009-10-23T18:41:24Z")
One of my favorite obscure words… ---
**Author:** ![Floppy\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3bc359/32.png) [@Floppy\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floppy_Joe)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/6 "2009-10-23T19:07:31Z")
Just saw this recently advertised on TV… [**http://www.build-solar-system.com/usa/index.html**](http://www.build-solar-system.com/usa/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/7 "2009-10-23T19:56:47Z")
> [@Floppy\_Joe](#): > > Just saw this recently advertised on TV… > > [**http://www.build-solar-system.com/usa/index.html**](http://www.build-solar-system.com/usa/index.html) Another toy I can’t have but now want. Thanks. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/8 "2009-10-23T21:54:16Z")
> [@Floppy\_Joe](#): > > Just saw this recently advertised on TV… > > [**http://www.build-solar-system.com/usa/index.html**](http://www.build-solar-system.com/usa/index.html) I have one. Unassembled, but now a complete kit. I always wanted one, and this was pretty good value. I’m actually putting off building it till I get some time to sit down and enjoy the pleasure. They also do a sun, earth, moon orbiter system - which looks just brilliant - and I will get that too. [www.build-model-orbiter.com](http://www.build-model-orbiter.com) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/9 "2009-10-24T00:23:04Z")
I now know what I want for Xmas. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/10 "2009-10-24T03:11:49Z")
I want the one from The Dark Crystal (including sound effects, please). I was unable to find a pic or clip online. Anyone with stronger google-fu, please help. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/11 "2009-10-24T03:15:09Z")
But wait - why pay more! You - yes YOU! - can make your own Solar System model with everyday objects you can find in your home! And it’s completely to scale!! (rly!) [sup]1[/sup] [The Thousand Yard Model](http://www.noao.edu/education/peppercorn/pcmain.html) And see Wikipedia on [Solar System models](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_system_model) [sup]1[/sup] Enormous back yard sold separately. ---
**Author:** ![Ring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Ring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ring)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/12 "2009-10-24T03:24:05Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > I have one. Unassembled, but now a complete kit. I always wanted one, and this was pretty good value. I’m actually putting off building it till I get some time to sit down and enjoy the pleasure. They also do a sun, earth, moon orbiter system - which looks just brilliant - and I will get that too. [www.build-model-orbiter.com](http://www.build-model-orbiter.com) I don’t understand, it says to pick your country, and the US isn’t listed, does that mean I can’t order one if I live in the USA? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/13 "2009-10-24T08:04:25Z")
> [@NoCoolUserName](#): > > I want the one from The Dark Crystal (including sound effects, please). > > I was unable to find a pic or clip online. Anyone with stronger google-fu, please help. > **[Aughra's observatory](https://darkcrystal.fandom.com/wiki/Aughra%27s_observatory)** > > Aughra's Observatory was the longtime home of Aughra. A giant orrery dominated the center of the observatory, tracking the movements of planets and stars. TekTih assisted Aughra in the construction of the observatory, prior to the division of the... [http://usuarios.lycos.es/darkcrystal/images/locations/observatory01.jpg](http://usuarios.lycos.es/darkcrystal/images/locations/observatory01.jpg) [http://orrery.tribe.net/photos/0a4e1b9e-7a93-4fa3-8cbe-de31da34eb10](http://orrery.tribe.net/photos/0a4e1b9e-7a93-4fa3-8cbe-de31da34eb10) ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/14 "2009-10-24T09:04:03Z")
> [@Ring](#): > > I don’t understand, it says to pick your country, and the US isn’t listed, does that mean I can’t order one if I live in the USA? I suspect not yet. These things are a mail order subscription thing. In general I hate this business model. Every week you get a magazine and a couple of parts. In a year you have a set of folders filled with the magazine and all the parts - or actually a finished model if you build it as the bits arrive. The kits come from England, where they were first released. They were released in Australia a few months later, and the orrery has just finished its delivery. They have only just announced the orbiter model here. It has been going in the UK for a while, but probably not yet finished. So since they have only just started with the orrery in the US, I would imagine that the orbiter is a year off. Such is life. On the whole, the kits look good. Before I subscribed I did a bit of a look around for any competing products, and for the money these kits are really good. You can buy other orreries, and the like elsewhere, but at mind-numbing prices, or very poor quality. As something of decent quality and affordable, these kits fill a vacant niche. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/15 "2009-10-24T19:02:43Z")
I’ve been wanting an orrery for many years – even if I didn’t know what they were called. So the commercials intrigued me. How do you find the magazine? Worth the subscription price ($17.98/month)? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/16 "2009-10-27T11:53:59Z")
For a fascinating radio interiview about the antikythera, listen to the opening clip at [Home | Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald | CBC Radio](http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/archives/09-10/qq-2009-10-24.html) This machine is a clock, calendar, planetary motion and eclipse predictor. Also check out the Strassbourg clock. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/17 "2009-10-27T13:18:06Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve been wanting an orrery for many years – even if I didn’t know what they were called. So the commercials intrigued me. How do you find the magazine? Worth the subscription price ($17.98/month)? The magazine is really a popularist astronomy guide to the planets. It is OK, but nothing more. I will probably give them to my niece. They are really directed at kids, or non-scientists with little background in astronomy. For someone who is interested, but never done any study about astronomy they are probably not bad. I studied astronomy at Uni, used to be a member of the local astronomical society, and used to subscribe to Sky and Telescope. I’m past what these magazines provided. So I just priced the orrery without taking the magazine into account. I could not find anything like it for the money anyway. So I’m pretty happy. I notice they are also offering the entire thing for $350 US in one lump. That is a heck of a lot less than I paid (I didn’t have the option, we could only get them over a one year period.) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanical-clockwork-machines-showing-movement-of-planets-name/514871/18 "2009-10-27T13:49:29Z")
And now that you know what an orrery is, this is an [armillary](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Armillary_sphere.png).