The "Musser" Copernican Planetarium.
Here's a picture of the latest find for my
collection of orreries! These machines have a really neat history,
they were made as a commemorative for the 1962 Worlds Fair's "Century 21"
space science exhibit in Seattle Washington (See the October 1962 issue
of "Sky and Telescope"). It was designed by Clair O. Musser.
The units were made by a company called Scientific Space Industries of
Sherman Oaks California, a subsidiary company of the Hughes Aircraft Company.
This machine pictured below is marked with a serial number of 382.
These machines were never marketed, They were only available for purchase
at the Fair in 1962. I don't know how expensive they were. The neatest
feature the machine has is a built in black light and florescent planets.
When you are viewing the orrery in a darkened room with the motor and internal
black light running, the effect is stunning. The planets appear to
be orbiting the sun on a velvet background of stars!
It is truly awesome!
Features Included:Illuminated Sun
Motorized planetary motion out to Saturn.
Planets can be individually set to start at any heliocentric position.
Will automatically keep track of current month, season and year.
Planets appear to glow when using the internal black light, giving the appearance of floating planet that are not connected to any mechanism!
Removable screen overlays.
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