Awesome Solar System

Why have an ordinary coffee table when you can have one with the solar system inside? The 5439 Workshop walks us through the process of building a cherry wood table and with a motorized orrery beneath its surface. The project combined woodworking, engineering, welding, and precision parts made with 3D printing, CNC machining, and waterjet cutting.

We think Earth is just the right size. It’s big enough to hold billions of people and other creatures, and if you’re dedicated enough, you can visit most of it in a lifetime. But what if we lived on a bigger planet? What If created an animated visualization that shows how big other planets are by stuffing them full of Earth-sized planets.

An orrery is one of those mechanical models that simulate how planets move in the solar system. A tellurion is the same concept but only includes the Earth, its moon, and the sun. Chronova Engineering made an incredibly small tellurion and posted this video of the build process. The finished model has six gears, and is smaller than a fingernail.

ChenYi makes these stitched-edge cloth desk mats with colorful illustrations of our solar system. Measuring 35.4″ w x 15.7″ d, they’re big enough for a full-size keyboard, a mouse, and other desk accessories. Choose from six variants, including Celestia, Galaxy, Nebula, Orbit, Revolution, and a white Solar System.

This fascinating tabletop showpiece features a miniature replica of our solar system. It uses magnetic levitation tech to float accurate models of each planet in orbit around the sun. The positions of each planet are synchronized in real-time using NASA data, and it’s available with a light-up sun. You can also accelerate the orbital speed for faster action.

LEGO builder marian519 built this mechanical contraption inspired by a vintage mechanical clockwork. As its crank is turned, it demonstrates the rotational relationships between the Earth, Sun, and Moon. The instructions and parts list for the 2305-piece, 70-gear model are available for purchase on Rebrickable.

Take out your stress on the entire Solar System with these squishy spheres. The set includes nine full-color planets and a larger Sun for them to orbit around. They’re definitely not to scale, but a squeezy Sun that’s 1.3 million times bigger than Earth isn’t exactly a practical toy to wrap your hand around.