A mechanical model of the solar system showing the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons as they orbit the sun.
Named after Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery (c. 1713), for whom one of the first such models was made. An aristocrat's name became the word for miniature universes.
A tiny mechanical SOLAR SYSTEM on your desk! Named after an Irish Earl who paid for one in the 1700s. Imagine watching brass planets orbit a golden sun right on your TABLE — the universe in miniature! 🪐⚙️
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