At an impressive 20.5 inches tall and 30 inches wide, this LEGO Ideas entry doesn’t just demonstrate the movement of the solar system, it does so while staying true to the timing of each planet’s orbit. The Clockwork Solar System by LEGO builders Chris Orchard and Brent Waller is a nearly 3,000-brick wonder that reproduces the celestial dance of our solar system with 99.8% accuracy, while a set of clocks at the bottom even count down the year as the planets revolve around the sun.
Both Orchard and Waller are self-proclaimed LEGO geeks, with Waller even mentioning that he’s been involved with the LEGO Ideas platform for over a decade (going back to when it was called “CUUSOO”). While they claim there are countless mechanical models of the solar system (also called orreries), nothing compares to the complexity and attention to accuracy of the Clockwork Solar System.
Designers: Chris Orchard and Brent Waller
“The relative orbital periods of each planet to complete one orbit are extremely precise. A lot of effort went into making each planet’s orbital time over 99.8% accurate to the other planets,” Chris says on his LEGO Ideas feature page. “The year of each planet is also represented by the 8 dials in the stylish octagonal base. Additionally, a motor and battery box are included in the base to fully motorize the model.”
This isn’t the first time someone has built a stunningly accurate oreria out of LEGO. Earlier last year, LEGO builder Marian made an orrery that accurately tracks the movement of the earth and moon around the sun, along with precise phases of the moon. A clockwork solar system, on the other hand, also takes into account the other 8 planets (or 7 planets and Pluto, if you’re still clutching those pearls).
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