The Solar System Animation
If you have a browser capable of displaying animated GIFs you will
see the planets move around the Sun, just as they
do when you flip the pages in the little calendar-book!
![[picture: The animated Soar System]](97anim.gif)
You may notice that Jupiter and Saturn are going backwards. This
was done so the angles are still correct, otherwise the orbits wouldn't
have fitted on the page. Also now the thirteenth starsign has been added;
the above GIF is a bit dated.
I am still hoping to hear from someone what the proper name for
this "flip-book" is ... in all languages. For instance in german it is
"Daumenkino" ... thumb - cinema ! Could you please ask your kids what they
call it? The idea of representing the solar-system in this manner is ©Haley
1990. The name for it in greek is trochiograph.
back to Astronomical Pocket Diary
