The new Jodrell Bank orrery is thought to be the largest in the world.
The University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre has announced the arrival of its newest exhibit - a beautiful and unique mechanical orrery. At five metres in diameter, the Jodrell Bank orrery - a moving, model of the Solar System - is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world and includes a complex system of 52 brass gears that ensure that the planets orbit around the Sun at exactly the right rate in relation to each other. Installed in the gallery space of the Discovery Centre's Planet Pavilion, it can be driven by a large winding handle, allowing visitors to orchestrate the motion of the planets themselves. The orrery is in a gallery that describes 'Our Place in the Universe' and contains touch-screen exhibits describing the Solar System and the scale of the Universe. The walls of the gallery show the view of the cosmic microwave background - the fading glow of the Big Bang - which has recently been investigated in detail by the European Space Agency's Planck space mission. Built in Acton in London by the innovative team at Science Projects, the orrery turns against a giant 'clock face' in the ceiling of the gallery depicting astronomically accurate constellation maps set out in their relevant positions in the sky. The installation of the exhibit is now complete and will be open from today (Monday, 25 March) and throughout the Easter holiday period.
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