1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910431342903321

Autore

Buick Tony

Titolo

Orreries, clocks, and London society : the evolution of astronomical instruments and their makers / / Tony Buick

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham, Switzerland : , : Springer, , [2020]

©2020

ISBN

3-030-61777-7

Edizione

[Second edition.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (XXVII, 348 p. 255 illus., 88 illus. in color.)

Collana

Astronomers' Universe, , 1614-659X

Disciplina

523.0074

Soggetti

Planetariums

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di contenuto

Chapter 1. Setting the Scene -- Chapter 2. Honest George, Chronometers and the Mystery of the Disappearing Proto-Orreries -- Chapter 3. Orrery: the Man and the Model -- Chapter 4. A Closer Look at Gear Calculations, Time Corrections, Escapements and Orbital Resonance -- Chapter 5. The Clockmaker’s London -- Chapter 6. Modern and Orrery Times Compared -- Chapter 7. The Planetarium: A Journey into Space -- Chapter 8. Postface -- Appendix 1: A Select Timeline -- Appendix 2: Glossary -- Appendix 3: Bibliograph -- Index.

Sommario/riassunto

Orreries—mechanical models of the Solar System and its motions—are found everywhere. They appear in paintings, on computers, across natural landscapes, and in museums all over the world. The more you look, the more you find, yet their significance is often overlooked aside other great astronomical inventions. This book reclaims the history of the orrery, offering a fascinating look into its evolution over the centuries. With a particular focus on London society and clockmakers, it weaves together historical narrative with practical know-hows and scientific fact, showing how the orrery changed from a fanciful toy to a high-tech instrument to a vessel for art and education. The first edition, Orrery, explained what an orrery is and how it got its name. This revised edition goes several steps further, tracing the instrument back to the time of Ptolemy and forward to planetariums and star projectors. In addition, it features new sections on how to construct your own orrery at home. This book will appeal to anybody interested



in astronomical mechanical devices, scientific instruments, horology, or the history of clocks.