7K views · 256 reactions | While the Earth  rotates underneath, the orientation of the #pendulum changes. First used in 1851, Foucault's pendulum was the first simple, direct way to observe Earth's rotation. : Fin Draper | Griffin Museum of Science and Industry | Facebook

Happy Earth Day! Did you know that the pendulum in our café provides evidence of the Earth's rotation? The Foucault Pendulum was created by French physicist Léon Foucault in 1851. The 150-pound pendulum is mounted so that it can swing in any direction, and as time passes, all of the pins encircling the pendulum will be knocked over. The Foucault Pendulum in our café was one of the highlights when the building originally opened as Buhl Planetarium in 1939. After the closure of the planetarium, th

527 reactions · 137 shares | THE PENDULUM Edgar Alan Poe described...

Everyone loves watching the Foucault Pendulum at the museum. We created this special video to explain just how it works. Throughout the day, the direction of the pendulum’s swing appears to change. Actually the Earth is turning under the pendulum as it swings. At Houston’s latitude (30° N.) the pendulum will precess through 180° or halfway around each day. During this time, it will knock down all of the pins. Learn more: http://www.hmns.org/exhibits/permanent-exhibitions/pendulum/ | Houston Muse