70167 - UGEARS Model Kit Mechanical Tellurium, 249 parts, 3D Puzzle

UGEARS Model Kit Mechanical Tellurium, 249 parts, 3D Puzzle

Where is my place in the universe? Where am I going? We can't help you with the metaphysical aspect of these questions, but this wooden puzzle will make it easier for you to understand your travels as a passenger on planet Earth and the links and connections with some of your nearest celestial neighbours. We all experience the regular cycles of day and night, the phases of the moon, the changing of the seasons and the passing of the years. But who among us really understands these phenomena? Who can explain what is behind the clocks and calendars that govern our lives? Any child can tell you how old they are, but if you ask them how many times they have circled around the sun, they will be met with astonished looks or amused answers: One hundred and twenty-seven times? Ten thousand? Once? Never?

Assemble the exciting Tellurium kit and enjoy showing it off to your family and friends. They will all be able to better understand the firmament, the seasons and even the concept of time with this wooden model. Turn the crank to set the precisely calibrated gear system in motion. One turn of the crank = one turn of the earth on its axis = one day. Point to a spot on the surface of the earth, observe the position of the rotating earth in relation to the sun and imagine sunrise and sunset, the transition from day to night. The tellurium illustrates that the phases of the moon are a function of the moon's position in relation to the sun and the earth. As it orbits, the moon rises and falls slightly, changing its line of motion. The Earth's orbit around the Sun, together with the correct representation of the Earth's 23.5 degree inclination on its axis, shows why the seasons change (except in regions near the equator). The Tellurium shows the progression of the seasons and also provides an excellent graphic representation of the Zodiac, so you can see the sign of the Zodiac and the constellation under which you were born.

The Ugears Mechanical Tellurium can be manually set or "adjusted" to show what the relative positions of the Sun, Earth and Moon are on any given day. When "adjusting" the mechanism, place the pointer on the seasonal disc in the middle of winter or summer (buzzer). The earth can be rotated on its axis (using the gear under the moon phases) so that one hemisphere is as far away from the sun as possible in the middle of winter or as close to the sun as possible in summer. To set the current date, turn the crank forwards or backwards by the number of days that this date is away from the nearest solstice in time. After consulting the lunar calendar, position the moon to its correct phase using the upper cog. Now your tellurium is "set up". Move the crank of the model one turn each day to record the progress of the Earth as it moves around the Sun and the cycle of the Moon circling around the Earth.

If you observe the movements of the Ugears Tellurium model, you will see that during the full moon, the moon is behind the Earth, on the side facing away from the sun. Then the Sun illuminates the entire side of the Moon visible to us (the "bright side" of the Moon). On the other hand, when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, the Sun's rays illuminate the part of the Moon facing away from us (the "dark side" of the Moon). This phase is called the "new moon", the period during which the moon is not visible to us in the night sky. During the intervals between these two phases, the moon waxes and wanes, changing its visible shape depending on the portion of its illuminated surface that we can see from Earth. The phases of the moon are just one of the many astronomical findings that are not easy to understand, but which can be easily illustrated with the Tellurium 3D puzzle from Ugears.
Caution!Not suitable for children under 36 months.

• Number of components: 249
• Assembly time: 5 hrs
• Grade: Simple
• Model size: 40.5*26*30.5 cm
• Package size: 37.8*17*3.4 cm