"In a dark library lit by a single lamp, four men, a young woman and three children crowd around a circular dais. They are staring at a clockwork contraption called an orrery, housed within giant bands of metal that suggest a celestial sphere. Below, tiny planets rotate around the Sun, orbited by pearl moons. Concentric plates allow the planets to move according to their relative speeds."
"The lecturer in his striking red gown is pointing to Jupiter's moons, while a younger man in a purple coat and gold striped waistcoat assiduously takes notes. His notetaking implies the event isn't run-of-the-mill, but something special and worth recording. A small lamp has taken the place of the central sun in the orrery and throws light upon everyone's faces."
"We can only see it as a reflection below the elbow of the silhouetted youth in the foreground - a wick burning in a jar of oil. The lamplight adds an eager gleam to the eyes of the inquisitive young children and illuminates the contemplative gaze of the young man on the right. It highlights the edges of the young woman's frilled bonnet and the cheekbones of the adolescent who leans over the edge of the orrery in front of us."
In a dark library lit by a single lamp, four men, a young woman and three children crowd around a circular dais. They stare at a clockwork orrery housed within metal bands suggesting a celestial sphere. Tiny planets and pearl moons rotate around a central lamp that substitutes for the sun. Concentric plates allow planetary motion according to relative speeds. A lecturer in a red gown points to Jupiter's moons while a younger man in purple records observations. The lamplight illuminates faces, highlighting bonnets, cheekbones and eager children's eyes, conveying scientific wonder and contemplative attention.
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