The astronomical clock was commissioned by J. Though modelled on them, it is radically different from the astronomical clocks found at Strasbourg, Lyon and Beauvais. It took six months to carry out the studies for the project and two and a half years to make. It is in perfect working order and composed of two different parts, automata of a religious nature and 77 time measurement dials with real-time indications for twelve different places around the world.
The clock shows the day, month, year, the length of dayand night, the time of sunset and sunrise, the tides, and so on. The clock is colourfully decorated with signs of the zodiac. One particularity setting it apart from other astronomical clocks is that it drives five other dials not present in the room where it is installed. One of these is to be found inside the cathedral and indicates the phases of the moon and the planet associated with the day of the week.
Four other dials on the outside of the bell tower act as public clocks for the upper parts of the town centre. The planetary dial is placed on the lower part of the bell tower and shows the Copernican system.
They all take the same time to move around the sun as the planets actually do. Uranus and Neptune are not represented as they lie too far away from the sun.
Pluto, which is even further away, was not known at the time the clock was made in , only being discovered in See more details. Sporting stakes History Key figures Safety. Official games. Other events. Tour operators. Official shops.
