A grand orrery is one that includes the outer planets known at the time of its construction. The word planetarium has shifted meaning, and now usually refers to hemispherical theatres in which images of the night sky are projected onto an overhead surface.

Staines & Son sell hand-crafted brass orreries. Our solar system models are built with the most accurate orbiting planets and moons available for purchase.

The Grand Orrery (a mechanical model of the solar system) was built between 1776 and 1787 in Boston by a clockmaker and inventor, Joseph Pope. It is made of mahogany, brass, ivory, and glass—all materials that were of necessity imported to make this “American” product.

An orrery is a moving model of the motions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun. Orreries can be used to demonstrate phenomena such as day and night, the seasons, lunar phases, and eclipses. A candle may be placed in the centre to represent the light of the Sun. Larger orreries often include additional planets and their accompanying satellites.

Each orrery is designed with natural materials such as semi-precious stone, brass, and hardwood -- reflecting both the wonder our solar system and the beauty of our earth in an exquisite union of art and science.

Apr 20, 2023 · Experts at Harvard's Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments are using the Grand Orrery, a centuries-old mechanical model of the solar system, to study the Revolutionary War.

Date: 1764-1767 Inventory Number: 0004 Classification: Orrery Subject: astronomy, demonstration apparatus, Maker: Benjamin Martin (1704 - 1782) Donor: James Bowdoin (1727 - 1790) Cultural Region: England, Place of Origin: London, City of Use: Cambridge, Dimensions: 79.5 x 56 x 63 cm (31 5/16 x 22 1/16 x 24 13/16 in.) orrery diam.: 56 cm (22 1/ ...

Built by the renowned instrument-maker George Adams (who supplied instruments to King George III), this ‘Grand Orrery’ includes the 6 then-known planets and their satellites, rotating around the sun at centre. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto …

Join Our Mailing List I Contact The Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 One of the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture

The Grand Orrery is thought to have been made c.1758 in London by Benjamin Cole, a maker of mathematical and scientific instruments, but research suggests it may have been made c.1750 or slightly earlier. It is a mechanical model of the solar system showing the movements of the known planets around the sun and is wound by a handle.