A hemispherical dome of opaque thin material is pierced with small openings in patterns conforming to the appearance of constellations in the sky. Mounted on a rotating cylinder, the dome is turned by an electric motor at adjustable speeds. A light source within the dome casts patterns of the constellations about the room. The control for the motor is wired into an alarm clock so that the speed of rotation may simulate the earths rotation. Turning the alarm on may activate the planetarium upon awakening the user. A "sleep cycle" on the alarm may operate the planetarium for a specified period before turning off automatically allowing the user to fall asleep with the planetarium activated. Opaque mask hemispheres which fit snugly over the planetarium dome are each provided with a single cut-out portion shaped to expose only one constellation at a time for projection. Light bulbs with variously shaped filaments will project the shape of each filament into the room.

A clock for simultaneously displaying, through a single drive mechanism, different but indirectly related time cycles. This clock utilizes a single motor which drives two toothed sprockets through an advancement means which engages the teeth on the sprockets. These sprockets have equal diameters but have different numbers of teeth so that they rotate at different speeds. The first of these sprockets is arranged to display one time cycle. A pinion is associated with the other sprocket to rotate at the same speed therewith and through suitable interconnection drives a third toothed sprocket. This third sprocket is arranged to display a time cycle different from that displayed on the first sprocket. By properly choosing the gearing ratios between each of the sprockets and the pinion, conventional hour and minute time, lunar time, and solar time may, for example, be displayed by a single mechanism in an economical yet accurate manner.

A novelty clock, watch, and the like for keeping time at an animal's rate, defined in terms of a multiple of human rate by dividing the average lifetime of a particular animal into the average lifetime of a human being. The multiple for dogs is seven, for example. The device comprises a housing, a source of reference frequency for producing pulses, means for producing 60 pulses per second times the multiple for the particular animal, means for accumulating time, and means for displaying time. The display is the usual clock face with the speed of the hands altered, preferably also with the data indicated as the number of days since the last "new year" in animal days. A digital display of time in human terms may be provided with an analog display of time in animal terms or, alternatively, a capability to switch from one to the other may be provided. Preferably, a variable resistor, between the frequency source and producing means allows the user to change the multiple for diferent types of animals.

The present invention relates to a globe clock which includes an earth sphere rotating at a rate of 1 revolution per minute, a moon sphere orbiting the earth sphere at a rate of one revolution per 12 hours and a satellite sphere orbiting the earth sphere at a rate of one revolution per hour, all mounting in a black housing and immersed in "black light".

A novelty clock is provided wherein a spherical representation of the earth rotates about the face of the clock as would a second hand. While rotating about the face of the clock, the earth also rotates upon its own axis, thereby providing a more realistic and appealing visual effect. The special motion of the earth is achieved by a motion producing mechanism driven by the rotational force of the shaft which ordinarily drives the second hand of the clock.