The Calculator Orrery

An inaccurate mechanical model of the solar system, featuring vintage calculators!

An orrery is a device designed to show the relative orbits and positions of planets and moons. The invention was named after the 4th Earl of Orrery, who commissioned a clockmaker to build one in 1713 (although not necessarily the very first).

This version is powered by four independently controlled motors, the speed and direction of which can be altered via the control panel, which visitors are invited to operate.

The calculators used on this machine include:

Rockwell 8R (1975)

Brother 518AD (1976)

Decimo 'International' (1973)

Texas Instruments TI-1250 (1975)

Texas Instruments TI-2000 (1974)

Prefect MG-8M (1975)

Kosmos 'Astro' (1979)