fbpx

Aluna Moon Clock

We know of sand clocks, water clocks, atomic clocks and sun clocks but how about a Moon Clock? The British designer Laura Williams created Aluna – a proposal for the world’s first tidal powered Moon Clock. The proposed gigantic sculpture clock will be built from glass and steel and will include three massive concentric rings, 5 storeys high and 40 meters across.

The Aluna sculpture will light up to show the movements of the Moon and the sea. An animation of light will flow slowly around the rings, which individually represent: the lunar phase (the wax and wane of the Moon), the lunar day (the rise and set of the Moon), and the ebb and flow of the tide. The Aluna will not reflect the Moon’s light (an impossible mission in a modern city) instead it would use a matrix of LEDs powered by energy harnessed directly from the Moon’s tides via on-site tidal turbines.

Currently there are plans to build Aluna clocks in the UK and Australia at a cost of between 8-10 million dollars each (depending on the size and location). Building is scheduled to take about two years. The Aluna designers see the sculpture as a combination of artistic, scientific and educational project. People will be able to “interact” with the Aluna, walk around the sculpture, enjoy the large space in its centre, and sit on the lower part of the Lunar Phase ring.

More information on the Aluna project can be found on the project website.
Image credit: Mark Glean.
Tagged with : , , , , , ,

About

Iddo has a B.A. in Philosophy and Cognitive Science and an M.A. in Philosophy of Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is currently writing his Ph.D. thesis on the relationship between the scientific community and industry. Iddo was awarded the 2006 Bar Hillel philosophy of science prize for his work on the relationship between science and technology. He is a member of the board of the lifeboat foundation and was the editor of several high-profile science and technology websites since 1999.

Related Posts