An Orrery (a mechanical model of the Solar System) was kindly donated by Mr James Beer of Lord Mayors Walk, York. James gave it to the York Astronomical Society (YAS) as a magazine kit and it was assembled by Gerry Fisher and then shown to him (see Fig.1).

Fig.1 James Beer with the assembled Orrery

The Orrery (see Fig.2) will be on show at public events to educate school children and Cubs/Brownies about the Solar System. A big thanks to James for this generous gift to the YAS.

Fig.2 Orrery built from a magazine kit

Gerry said: “I enjoyed building it despite some missing pieces and some magazines with the instructions! I bought him a bottle of Whiskey which he appreciated! A second-hand value of the Orrery on eBay was £350, so a very generous offer from James.”