Bidspirit auction | Trippensee Planetarium Co. Orrery

Trippensee Planetarium Co. Orrery - This illuminated tellurian orrery is a mechanical educational model designed to demonstrate the relative motions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The instrument features a large yellow glass globe representing the Sun, which contains an internal light source. A central red-painted metal arm supports a terrestrial globe and two smaller white spheres representing the Moon in different phases or orbital positions. The Earth globe is composed of paper gores applied to a sphere, with a printed label reading Trippensee Planetarium Co. Saginaw, W. S. Mich. and copyright information for The George F. Cram Co., Inc. Indianapolis 7, Ind. The mechanical assembly utilizes a chain and sprocket drive system to simulate orbital and rotational movements. The central black pedestal rests on a circular base featuring an inset scale divided into three concentric rings: the outer ring displays the months of the year, the middle ring shows the zodiac signs, and the inner ring indicates the four seasons. A small liquid-filled compass is embedded in the red metal arm. The device is powered by an electric cord with a two-prong plug.