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An eidouranion is a kind of
The Shows of London by Richard Daniel Altick, p. 364
Astronomical instruments
An eidouranion is a kind of orrery
An orrery is a mechanical Solar System model, model of the Solar System that illustrates or predicts the relative positions and motions of the planets and natural satellite, moons, usually according to the heliocentric model. It may also represent ...
that combined mechanical movement with a method of back projection. Its invention is attributed to Adam Walker (1731-1821) who in the 1780s built one measuring in diameter. He used it to accompany his lectures on astronomy. It is an ancestor of planetarium
A planetarium (: planetariums or planetaria) is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation.
A dominant feature of most planetariums is ...
projectors.
It is known that Adam Walker held lectures featuring the Eidouranium at the Royal Theatre in London in the 1780s and the London Lyceum. The shows were continued by his eldest son, William Walker (1767-1816), from around 1812. The shows were continued through the 1820s by William’s younger brother Deane Franklin Walker (1778-1865).
The word "eidouranion" derives from the Greek compound "eid + ouranos". The combining elements are "eidos", which means "what is seen, shape, form", and "ouranos", which was the name of the god of the heavens. Thus, the combined form means "shaped like the heavens" or "formed like the heavens".
References
{{ReflistFurther reading
* King, Henry C, and John R. Millburn. ''Geared to the Stars: The Evolution of Planetariums, Orreries, and Astronomical Clocks''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1978. Print. sp. Ch. 19: ''The Eidouranion and Other Large Transparent Orreries''External links
The Shows of London by Richard Daniel Altick, p. 364
Astronomical instruments