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An orrery is a model of the motions of the earth, moon, and sun that demonstrates such phenomena as day and night, the seasons, eclipses, and lunar phases. The instrument was named after Charles Boyle, the Earl of Orrery, who received a device made in about 1713 by the London instrument-maker John Rowley. A favorite didactic tool in England, the orrery became centerpiece for astronomical lectures that often had the aura of a religious sermon. Although showing the cosmos in miniature form, the orrery is by no means an exact representation of the universe. The cranks and bars that connect individual planets do not have a physical equivalent in space; instead they reflect the mechanistic view of a clockwork universe.
KEY
Explore the colors below to learn more about the parts of the object at left
This disc is wired to the central system with an index (L) indicating the season and month
Letter U shows a cap that divides the Earth into dark (night) and light (day)
Letter P shows a cap that demonstrates the lunar phases as the moon revolves around the earth
The index (K) beneath shows the days of the month
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