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| Prague's astronomical clock, the Orloj, puts on quite a show every day. The wondrous main clock, with four moving parts, was completed in 1410. Later generations have added moving figures, a "Walk of the Apostles," a crowing rooster, and a rotating calendar. |
1 golden cockerel who crows at the top of the hour
1 bell in the clock tower which peals the hours
3 sets of mechanisms: the astronomical clock, the calendar clock, and the moving statues
3 celestial movements recorded: the Sun, the moon, and the ecliptic revolution of stars
4 parts of the astronomical clock which rotate: Sun, moon, outer ring of time, and Zodiacal ring
4 moving figures: Vanity (with mirror), a Jewish moneylender (with bag of gold), Death (as skeleton
with hourglass and ringing a bell), and a Turk (representing hedonism)
4 non-moving figures: a Chronicler, an Angel, an Astronomer, and a Philosopher
12 statues of apostles who parade at the doors above the clock every hour
12 signs of the Zodiac on the Zodiacal ring
12 months on the calendar dial
23.93 hours for a Sidereal day (i.e., time reckoned from the Earth's motion relative to the stars)
24 hours on the outer ring, with the "24" indicating the time of sunset (Old Czech time)
24 hours in Roman numerals (I–XII repeated twice) indicating modern Central European Time
24 hours in "Babylonian" time, with twelve hours for daylight (indicated by the curved blue lines on
the central dial) and twelve hours for nighttime, the length of each of the hours changing
depending upon the time of year
28 days of the lunar phase displayed on the clock's moon
150 years the clock has been continuously repaired and regularly functioning (since 1866)
365 days listed on the calendar dial, with the current day at the top
606 years of age for the central astronomical clock
1490 probable year the calendar was added
1572 probable year of finish of repairs and perfection of mechanisms which remain largely intact and
in use today
1948 year the clock was reconstructed after damage in World War II
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| Using the Roman numerals, you can see that I took this photo around 6:45 am. (I work hard for you people.) Using the curved inner sections with the Arabic numerals, you can see that this was the second hour of daylight. The four statues around the clock are, from left to right: Vanity; a Jewish moneylender; Death; and a hedonist Turk. |
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| The calendar face has a rotating outer band with 365 days of the year. Meanwhile, the inner golden circle rotates for the months of the year. While the Astronomer and Philosopher stand to the right, the Chronicler and Angel had been taken away for repair and cleaning. |
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| Every hour the crowds gather to watch the clock's show. |
Like this? You might want to check out some further Monday Exposure posts:
Monday Exposure: Lysicrates Monument
Monday Exposure: Stirling Bridge
Monday Exposure: Michelangelo's Pietà
