Mercury's elliptical orbit
Mercury has the largest orbital eccentricity of all the planets in our solar system, at its greatest distance from the sun it is 1.5 times further than at its closest distance.
That distance ratio has been recreated using an offset gear to act as a cam, moving the planet horizontally along a spring loaded slide.
Mercury's Day Night Cycle
Mercury has the second longest solar day of any planet in the solar system at 176 Earth days.
The cam is geared to precisely imitate Mercury's' long day night cycle.
The Retrograde Rotation of Venus
Venus rotates in a clockwise direction when viewed from its north pole and is the only planet in our solar system to do so.
This unique movement is replicated by use of a gear train situated on the arm carrying Venus.
Venus' Day Night Cycle
Venus has the longest solar day of any planet in the solar system at 243 days.
The compound gear train on the arm replicates this speed relative to the movement of the Orrery.
Phobos & Deimos
Phobos and Deimos orbit the red planet Mars, represented on this Orrery by a copper ball, every 7.66 hours and 30.35 hours respectively.
Those speed are to great to replicate on an Orrery that moves five Earth days per turn of the handle and so they have been slowed. Their pace is kept relative to one another.