George Glazer Gallery - Antique Globes - Collecting Tellurians & Orreries

Q: George Glazer is a dealer in antique globes, and he's here with some of his favorite tellurians and orreries. Welcome back, George. Besides being useful scientific tools, people are using them decoratively in their homes. What got you interested in them?


18th century men and children study astronomy with an orrery. Click image for full description and enlargement.	A: Like globes, planetaria are all encompassing -- they are at once scientific and historical instruments, and they are also great-looking quality decorative arts objects. Q: Do scientists and astronomers still use them today, or is it more for schools? A: The antique ones, and the ones being made today, are demonstration devices primarily designed to teach students basic planetary motion and principals of astronomy. They're not to scale, and aren't flexible enough to explain more advanced concepts. Science teachers might use them today to teach basic concepts, though.
Q: When was the orrery invented? A: The orrery is named after an Englishman, Charles Boyle, the Earl of Orrery. In the 18th century, he commissioned a complex planetary device with the sun, the planets, and their moons. An orrery is used to study the relative sizes and motions of the planets in the solar system. Today, the original orrery is in the Science Museum in London where it can seen online.