UGEARS proudly presents Mechanical Tellurium, an accurate wooden model representing our corner of the universe. The Tellurion (also spelled tellurian, tellurium, and sometimes called loxocosm) is an ingenious mechanism. It depicts the cosmic dance between the Sun, Earth, and Moon. This model shows the causes of day and night, moon phases, and changing seasons. The Tellurion (from the Latin tellus, meaning "earth") is related to the orrery, which illustrates the relative positions and movements of planets and moons in the Solar System in a heliocentric model.
What is my place in the universe? Where am I heading? We cannot help you with the metaphysical aspect of these questions. But this wooden 3D model will help you understand the journey you take as a passenger on planet Earth, and your mutual connections with some of your closest celestial neighbors. We all experience regular cycles of day and night, moon phases, seasonal changes, and the passage of years. But who among us truly understands these phenomena or can explain what lies behind the clocks and calendars that govern our lives? Every child can say how old they are. But if you ask them how many times they have orbited the Sun, you may encounter a surprised look or a funny range of answers: One hundred twenty-seven? Ten thousand? Once? Never?
Build it yourself!
Build a captivating wooden model of the Tellurium, show it to your family and friends, and you will all better understand the sky, seasons, and the concept of time. Turn the crank to set in motion a precisely calibrated system of gears. One turn of the crank = one rotation of the Earth around its axis = one day. Indicate a place on the Earth's surface, observe the position of the rotating Earth relative to the Sun. Visualize sunrise and sunset, the transition from day to night. The Tellurion shows that moon phases are a function of its position relative to the Sun and Earth. As it rotates, the moon slightly rises and falls, changing its trajectory. The Earth's orbit around the Sun, along with the correct representation of the Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt, shows why we experience changing seasons (outside equatorial regions). The Tellurium shows the course of the seasons and also presents a graphic representation of the zodiac, showing the sign and constellation under which you were born.
How does the Tellurium work?
The Ugears Mechanical Tellurium can be manually adjusted or "tuned." This ensures an accurate representation of the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon on a given day. During the "tuning" of the mechanism, set the pointer in the middle of winter or summer on the seasons dial. The Earth, on its axis, can be rotated (using the gear under the moon phases) so that one of the hemispheres is farthest from the Sun in the gloomy middle of winter or closest to the Sun in summer. Turn the handle forward or backward by the appropriate number of days from whichever solstice is closest in time to set the current day. After checking the lunar calendar, use the upper gear dial to set the Moon's position to its proper phase. Your Tellurium is now "set." With each passing day, turn the model with the crank to trace the Earth's progress around the Sun and the lunar cycle of the Moon on its orbit.
Studying the movements of the Tellurium model, you will learn that the full moon occurs when the Moon is behind the Earth, away from the Sun. This happens because the Sun illuminates the entire visible surface of the Moon ("the bright side" of the Moon). Conversely, when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, the sun rays illuminate the opposite part of the Moon ("the dark side" of the Moon). This phase is called the "new moon," a period when the Moon is not visible in the night sky. In the intervals between these phases, the Moon rises and sets, changing its apparent shape. This depends on how much of the illuminated part we can observe from Earth. Moon phases are just one of many somewhat counterintuitive astronomical concepts that can be easily illustrated using the Tellurium.
At Ugears, approximation or "close enough" is not our style. Showing the orbital periods of our planet and the Moon, our designers equipped the mechanical Tellurion with a sophisticated gear system. It was first developed by the Dutch mathematician Christiaan Huygens in the 17th century. He did this to achieve the most accurate approximations possible in a wooden mechanism at this scale. The Earth's orbital gear period is 365.256 days. And the lunar-earth orbital gear period is 27.323 days, which gives an accuracy to one thousandth of a day.
Assembly
The UGEARS Mechanical Tellurium model consists of 249 parts, and its assembly time is 5 hours. The three-dimensional representation of the Earth's movements and its mutual interaction with nearby celestial bodies will appeal to many people. For example, those interested in space, astronomy, sky observation. It will help understand or teach a child the basic natural phenomena that govern our lives: day/night, seasons, lunar cycle, and the construction of time. The Tellurium is a great DIY project or gift idea for any hobbyist or beginner astronomer. We are pleased that we can finally make this beautiful Tellurium model available to Ugears fans worldwide – in which we all revolve together.
