As a professional astronomer, I had always thought that the astronomical orrery had been _invented_ by Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery, but today's AWAD corrected this impression; it prompted me to do some quick research, which showed that he only commissioned its construction.

My impression had come from the fact that, as a Corkonian, I was aware that the peerage of Orrery was based in Co. Cork, along with the peerage of Cork itself. Both were held by the Boyle family in the 17th Century; and this made Charles Boyle of Orrery a cousin of Robert Boyle, son of the Earl of Cork.

And who is Robert Boyle? He's only the Father of Chemistry!

http://understandingscience.ucc.ie/pages/sci_robertboyle.htm

So I had put 2 and 2 together and made 5. If Boyle cousin #1 was the father of chemistry, surely Boyle cousin #2 had invented this astronomical model, making a dynasty of early Anglo-Irish scientists (even better, Anglo-Munster scientists). Not quite.

BTW, if you don't get the Munster reference, let me explain it thus: there's a guy who goes to Munster rugby matches with a banner proclaiming "Irish by birth; Munster by the grace of God". It's nice to be Irish, even better to be from that province of Ireland called Munster - including the Boyles' stomping ground of Cork.

As a descendant of Cormac Carthy I get the Munster reference.

Munster undeniably one of the worlds great rugby clubs

Sometimes that's the right answer.

There is a very fine orrery - generally considered to be one of the best in the world - in Glasgow's wonderful Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It was constructed by John Fulton, born 1800, the son of an Ayrshire cobbler, and destined to be a cobbler himself. He was self-educated, teaching himself maths and astronomy in his spare time. He began making orreries as a teenager and this is his third and most complex, completed 1833.
http://www.theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSE00101&add=99&t=
http://collections.glasgowmuseums.com/starobject.html?oid=386785

Thank you for this beautiful image you added to your first post.
These 18-19th century scientifical models are often so beautfiful. I give in return the Harrison clocks : Link

I'm not scientific enough to understand it but impressed enough to admire it.

and my favorite: Aughra's observatory

Wooohoeeeoo!! Mighty crowded!

David, thanks for the links to Fullton's orrery! It's a remarkable piece of clockwork. It looks like it's fully up to date for its era (1830s), as it includes the "new" discoveries of Uranus, several asteroids, and the moons of the outer planets.

Neptune wasn't discovered until the 1840s, but you can imagine Fullton's frustration if he thought he'd completed his masterpiece, only to learn that yet another new asteroid, moon or planet had been discovered! Rather like Blackadder's mischievous coining of "new" words like "contrafibularity" when Dr. Johnson announces that he has finally completed his Dictionary of the English language!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSYiT2iG08

Its a pity your link does not work Buffo, maybe the photo sits to close on it?

Hmm, works fine here.

It sure is a fine piece of work.

hmm. works for me, on two different machines?

but here it is, in its entirety:
http://darkcrystal.wikia.com/wiki/Aughra's_observatory

I could probably look it up, but what's the difference between an orrery and an armillary?

what's the difference between an orrery and an armillary?

It's worth the read, but roughly, the armillary has fewer objects depicted. Just the earth, Sun, and the Moon, usually. I was reading about them the other day because I was looking into Greek and Roman semaphore technology and looked up the dioptra or stenoscope.

I still got an 'about blank' for the Dark Crystal but I took the longer road and found it. There a whole Aughra universe out there I see.
( Wiki and related seem to be making changes which may affect the outworld )