Prototype of a Virtual 2D Orrery

This Demonstration provides methods for plotting an orrery, which is a model of the solar system. It is named for Charles Boyle (1674-1731), also known as the fourth Earl of Orrery, under whose patronage the first modern mechanical orrery was built. Although this Demonstration is highly idealized from the standpoint of the solar system, it can be used as a basis for designing a more rigorous 2D or 3D virtual orrery.