For a long time man has been fascinated by the night sky. It was Copernicus, in the 16th Century, who bravely put forward that the solar system revolved around the Sun and not the Earth. The ancient Greeks had also proposed that the solar system was heliocentric, which meant that the Sun was the central point. To demonstrate the positions of the various planets in relation to each other, and to the sun, an orrery was built.
If you look at the night sky, you will observe that most stars stay in position relative to their neighbours. In ancient times it was noted that some objects in the night sky didn't follow the same pattern. These were named as wandering stars by the ancient Greek philosophers. The Romans also held these nomadic stars in high regard, and named them after important Gods.
This field of star gazing was soon looked upon as a science as the interest grew. Initially those long held beliefs that everything orbited the Earth were held to be true. The arguments explaining this were very persuasive and convincing. So for Copernicus to stand in front of his peers and challenge this view must have taken a lot of courage.
Today everyone agrees that the Sun is at the centre of the solar system. It is this bright star that all of the planets orbit round. Once people understood this idea they began to wonder how to demonstrate such a theory.
When people began looking at this they were immediately confronted with a problem. This involved the sheer scale of everything. Not only would they have to calculate the different sizes of the planets, but also the distances from each other and the sun. The scales were partially ignored by utilising different gear ratios. They would have been operated by a winding mechanism.
As things progressed the means of powering these devices changed to clockwork. This is largely thanks to two famous London clock makers. They were George Graham and Thomas Tampion, and they designed the first complete model of the solar system as it was then known.
A copy of this design was passed on to a skilled instrument maker, John Rowley. At this period in history the study of Astronomy was considered an appropriate pursuit for the upper classes. This instrument maker was commissioned to build a machine based on the designs of Graham and Tampion. This first model was presented to Prince Eugene of Savoy. A second model was made for John Rowley's patron, Charles Boyle.
Since those first working models they have proved a valueable teaching aid. The Sun could even be replaced by a lit candle, this produced a graphic indication of how sunlight reached the different planets. It also allowed people greater understanding into how eclipses happened.
They're so successful in the field of education that they are still used today. Pupils are often encouraged to make their own small devices. Even to this day there are people who manufacture these devices, although now they are electrically powered. For those who are wondering about the unusual name, the explanation is simple. Charles Boyle, who had the 2nd device, was also known as the 4th Earl of Orrery.
If you look at the night sky, you will observe that most stars stay in position relative to their neighbours. In ancient times it was noted that some objects in the night sky didn't follow the same pattern. These were named as wandering stars by the ancient Greek philosophers. The Romans also held these nomadic stars in high regard, and named them after important Gods.
This field of star gazing was soon looked upon as a science as the interest grew. Initially those long held beliefs that everything orbited the Earth were held to be true. The arguments explaining this were very persuasive and convincing. So for Copernicus to stand in front of his peers and challenge this view must have taken a lot of courage.
Today everyone agrees that the Sun is at the centre of the solar system. It is this bright star that all of the planets orbit round. Once people understood this idea they began to wonder how to demonstrate such a theory.
When people began looking at this they were immediately confronted with a problem. This involved the sheer scale of everything. Not only would they have to calculate the different sizes of the planets, but also the distances from each other and the sun. The scales were partially ignored by utilising different gear ratios. They would have been operated by a winding mechanism.
As things progressed the means of powering these devices changed to clockwork. This is largely thanks to two famous London clock makers. They were George Graham and Thomas Tampion, and they designed the first complete model of the solar system as it was then known.
A copy of this design was passed on to a skilled instrument maker, John Rowley. At this period in history the study of Astronomy was considered an appropriate pursuit for the upper classes. This instrument maker was commissioned to build a machine based on the designs of Graham and Tampion. This first model was presented to Prince Eugene of Savoy. A second model was made for John Rowley's patron, Charles Boyle.
Since those first working models they have proved a valueable teaching aid. The Sun could even be replaced by a lit candle, this produced a graphic indication of how sunlight reached the different planets. It also allowed people greater understanding into how eclipses happened.
They're so successful in the field of education that they are still used today. Pupils are often encouraged to make their own small devices. Even to this day there are people who manufacture these devices, although now they are electrically powered. For those who are wondering about the unusual name, the explanation is simple. Charles Boyle, who had the 2nd device, was also known as the 4th Earl of Orrery.
About the Author:
Read more about For Those Who Have Ever Wondered What An Orrery Is visiting our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment