Solar System Planetarium

cults3d

3D printable, 8 planet orrery. This model displays the motion of the 8 planets of our solar system and the Moon. It is hand-operated via a crank at the base, setting all the bodies in motion. Each turn of the handle equates to 30 Earth days of motion. The model is fully 3D printed, thus it does not require any additional materials. Only a knife, sandpaper and glue are needed for post-processing and assembly. The planets can be painted by hand. The gear ratios were determined using a dedicated Python program to achieve an error of less than 0.01% for the planets and 0.04% for the moon. The model was designed using Fusion 360 and thorougly tested for proper gear meshing and tolerances. The model was printed using a Pruse i3 mk3s, so results may vary, but a conservative approach was made during design to make sure it would work on most printers. The model stands about 20 cm tall and is 40 cm in diameter. The maximum print volume required is 205 x 175 x 145 (XYZ). Note that the pegs holding up the planets can be substituted by 3mm metal tubes or rods, reducing the required print volume to 145 mm cubed.