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The Earth turns in real time in the Corsair Company lobby

In 1997, we met in the small circle of amateur astronomers. Pierre Chesneau, executive of Corsair company, has his own telescope. He knows about the Val de Reuil Astrolabe - thanks to the article in “Science & Vie.” Pierre tells Bernard Trézéguet about his desire to install something original for the lobby of the new headquarters of the Corsair Company, which he manages…

This is an opportunity for me to bring together a diverse and motivated team in Val de Reuil. For me, this page represents a souvenir album dedicated to the young students of 1999 and their teachers.

album souvenir

Jean-Pierre Boyadjang controls the axes

I like working with teachers and students. The elected officials see it as a cost-saving measure - which isn’t wrong. For me, it’s a way of keeping tradition alive. It wasn’t until the 19th century that art began to become a personal practice, with the romantic figure of the “solitary artist.”

Bernard Beaufrère controls the base circle

For young people, Art (the search for Beautiful Objects) is first and foremost a pleasure, an adventure, before becoming a piece of heritage. My work requires a bit of technique, which gives me the perfect excuse to gather a team.

In the metalwork workshop of Pierre Mendès-France Middle School
Working on the chassis of the “Real Time Earth”
Installing the 24-hour axis
Eric Hébert draws and paints the cartography
Christian Zimmerman calligraphs the map legends
A cone created with the precise inclination to the Earth’s axis by Laurent Veneu. His father appreciates the task.

Tests and final adjustments in Val de Reuil at ODS - which provided the means for the creation.
The following year, the Zodiac figures were added to the ground. Detail of the Orion engraving.
Like the real Earth, the Earth rotates every 24 hours in the sunlight of its projector, and the blue cone circles the constellations of the Zodiac in 1 year.

The movements of the annual axis and the daily axis follow the ticks of the Frankfurt Atomic Clock. The luminous band at the base of the blue cone indicates which constellations of the Zodiac obscured by the sun would be visible during the day.

Sagittarius and Scorpio in June and July. (Calligraphy by Christian Zimmermann)

To thank the students and teachers of the Pierre Mendès-France middle school, the Corsair company invites the team to Orly to see the results of their work on display in the company’s lobby. Then, we all fly to Corsica…

Thanks to Pierre Chesneau (Corsair); Bernard Trézéguet (astronomy); Eric Hébert (production and painting); Patrick Huon (solutions); Laurent Veneu (cone); Xavier Delahodde (electronics and motors); Christian Zimmermann (calligraphy); Bernard Beaufère (teacher); Jean-Pierre Boyadjang (teacher); Claude S’agit (transport)

• Astronomy