A Fountain of the Moon at Basel

Abstract

A unique, highly instructive astronomical artifice appeared recently in front of the Basel Engineering College at Muttenz. The Moon Fountain was invented by Dozent Rudolf Lauri and built as an interdisciplinary project by lecturers, students and artisans of the school. It is a mechanical apparatus that reproduces the phases of the Moon with optical precision at all times, whether it is visible or obscured by clouds.