This is a delightful timepiece to embellish the wall of your home or office. As the earth rotates around the sun, it acts as an hour hand; as it spins on its on axis, the minutes can be read; as the moon rotates around the earth, it becomes a secondhand. The “sunlamp” causes shadows that depict earth night and new moon.

The opaque, convex, sun disc supports, illuminates and provides power to the moving earth and moon. The sun, with roman numerals on its rim, is circled by the earth disc twice a day, and the thin rod that connects them points to the hour. The earth also spins counterclockwise, one revolution per hour, so that the numbers on its edge, lined up against the same rod, reveal the minutes.

From the earth’s axis extends a second rod that moves the moon clockwise around the earth once every minute. Pointing to the numbers on the earth’s perimeter, it acts as a secondhand.

This clock is not an astronomical model, reflecting relative speeds, sizes, directions, etc., but telling time has never been so enlightening or so much fun.
-- FarmerJohn, Dec 03 2002

illustrative sketch http://www.geocitie...hnnie/soondial.html
[FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

proposed new category:

product:clock:farmerjohn
-- sild, Dec 03 2002


Again, a lovely drawing. +
-- bristolz, Dec 03 2002


<pompous praise> Elegant in its simplicity, satisfying in its complexity </pompous praise>.

I love the way the name is so intrinsic to the device. You cannot tell from a quick glance what the time is with this clock, either you crane your neck to be precise or you say it will be sometime soon.
-- Ludwig, Dec 03 2002


[fj] good to see you bouncing back with style! Another winner.
-- egbert, Dec 03 2002


unbelievable. Your guy-toy sense never ceases to amaze.
-- absterge, Dec 03 2002


Thanks all. I can’t stop coming here even though it physically hurts laughing at your copy.

S DG: Of course. Two of the three movements are as seen looking towards the South Pole.
-- FarmerJohn, Dec 03 2002


the farmers in his den - hooray.
-- po, Dec 03 2002


Very nice. A variation on an Orrery, but still very nice. I would like one too.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 06 2002


//This clock is not an astronomical model.// darn pity. pretty, though. Welcome back.
-- st3f, Dec 06 2002


I believe this is my favorite of yours, John. So many great ones, it's hard to pick. But this one brings it all together nicely for me.
-- waugsqueke, Mar 21 2004


Shouldn't the clock have 27 "month-hours" every two times the earth and moon go around the sun -- and 27 "day-seconds" every "month-hour" ?
-- smugcomputerguy, Mar 21 2004


[waugs] humble thanks

[smug] Not sure what you mean, but it seems you'll make the time more difficult to read by adding a correct astronomical calender function.
-- FarmerJohn, Mar 21 2004



random, halfbakery