Moon Diorama Progress Report

A Quick Recap on My Project
I am currently working on building a Moon phase diorama—a lamp that fits within the Lunarpunk aesthetic while replicating the real-time phases of the Moon using a stepper motor operating at its smallest step angle.

I’ve made significant progress on my project so far. Here is a list of everything I currently have, as well as what I still need:

Currently Have:

1. The Wooden Base Plate
This is where I will be mounting the Moon, as well as housing the stepper motor and lightbulb. I plan on painting this wooden board to match the night sky, including real planets and star constellations.

2. Acrylic Globe
This globe will be turned into the Moon for the project. I plan on painting it to match the actual surface of the Moon.

Acrylic globe and base plate

3. Electronics
I have almost every electronic component I need: an Arduino board, a breadboard, a motor driver, and a stepper motor.

Arduino, stepper motor, breadboard, and motor driver

4. Lightbulb and Fixture
I have a lightbulb with one half covered in electrical tape. This helps block half the light to replicate the Moon’s phases. The bulb is plugged into a fixture that I bought from Home Depot.

Light bulb fixture

5. Power Supply
I have a spare 12V power supply that I’ve been looking to use. It will be perfect for powering the stepper motor.

6. Paint
I bought acrylic paint to turn the lifeless acrylic globe into a Moon and to transform the wooden base into a vast night sky. Unfortunately, I’m not artistically skilled, so the drawings might not turn out perfectly.

What I Still Need to Buy:

1. Power Supply Connector
I need a way to connect the power supply to the Arduino breadboard so that it can power the stepper motor. I plan to visit the electronics shop in the IF to see if they have the part I need.

2. Wires
I don’t actually have any wires yet. However, I stopped by the electronics lab in the ITLL, and they told me I have access to all the wires I need, so I’ll grab them once I start building the circuit.

3. Stepper Motor to Lightbulb Adapter
I’m still brainstorming how to connect the stepper motor to the lightbulb so that it can rotate. I have a few ideas, but I need to finalize some details. I plan on 3D printing this part.

4. Globe Stand
The lightbulb fixture and stepper motor are too tall to fit inside the globe, so I plan to 3D print a cylindrical riser where I will store these parts.

The last thing I need to consider to complete this project is the code that will run the stepper motor. Luckily, Arduino has open-source code available that will allow me to drive the stepper motor at whatever rate I need. Sparkfun (where I purchased the motor driver) and Arduino also have electrical guides on how to connect the stepper motor to the breadboard and Arduino.

Sources:
All work and images are mine; I did not utilize any outside sources.