A new LEGO Technic set might be the theme’s most ambitious yet – 42254 Solar System Planets in Orbit is going to depict the entire solar system.
LEGO Technic 42254 Solar System Planets in Orbit is a new functional model that depicts the planetary system. It will arrive in this galaxy on January 1, 2027. It uses 572 pieces and is priced at £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99.
The set builds a detailed model of an orrery, a mechanical model of the solar system that shows the relative position of the planets as they orbit around the Sun. Using the hand crank gear mechanism within the central base, you can spin each of the planets can spin around via the hand-crank that allows each planet to move at a specific speeds. Mercury is the fastest planet at 107,082 miles per hour and Venus is the slowest at only around 4 miles per hour – with the LEGO brick speeds obviously not quite matching those of the real planets.
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Each planet included, as well as the Sun, features facts like these on dedicated information panels built on the base, making it an educational display as well as a dynamic display model. It seems to take a lot of inspiration from 42179 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit, which had the two revolving around the Sun, depicting different months and moon phases. 42254 Solar System Planets in Orbit uses some of those ideas to build a similar mechanism, though at a larger scale and the finished model will measure more than 38 cm (15 inches) wide.
The orrery was invented in 1704 and named after Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery, who commissioned one of the first models. While they are designed to imitate the rotation of the planets around the Sun, they are not exactly to scale – the orrery have to be more than 200 metres long to account for the distance of Uranus within the solar system. Orreries were extremely popular during the 18th century, when they were used for teaching astronomy and displayed in stately homes. While they aren’t typically used in education today, they often feature in museum exhibits to let people experience the physics of orbital mechanics.
42254 Solar System Planets in Orbit will join the array of Space and NASA themed sets that capture some of the greatest moments in space exploration and discovery, from 11382 Hubble Space Telescope to 42221 NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket (featured on the cover of Blocks Issue 136). If you’re looking for a smaller version to learn about the the wonders of the universe in the meantime, then 42179 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit is a good option.
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