Long description

A photograph of an orrery, which is a mechanical model of the solar system. This orrery consists of a brass cylinder on a three-legged stand. There is a small crank on the side of the central cylinder. From the middle of the cylinder a short rod sticks up vertically. At the end of this rod is a brass sphere representing the Sun. Several further long horizontal rods are connected to the short vertical rod. Each of the horizontal rods has a short upward-pointing rod at the end with a sphere on top. These spheres represent the planets. Some of the vertical rods for the planets have further short horizontal rods at the end of which are upward-pointing rods that support moons.