What do you get when you cross a yo-yo with juggling balls?
The answer is Astrojax! This is a much newer toy compared to the diabolo and juggling balls that have been around for many hundreds of years. New tricks are being invented all the time! Astrojax consists of 3 heavy balls attached by a piece of string with the middle ball moving freely. However, the construction of a real Astrojax is quite complex, as each ball is precisely machined metal weight to provide maximum performance and smooth action while playing. Never play with astrojax near people or objects, as these balls can hurt a lot if they hit you!
The 2 types of orbit
- Vertical Orbit – Hold a final ball in each hand. Drop a ball and gently pull the ball in your hand rhythmically up and down to continue the movement and continue.
- Horizontal Orbit – Use gentle circular horizontal movements of the hand containing the ball.
3 types of Astrojax cheats
There are 3 types of Astrojax cheats that you may want to specialize in.
- Juggle: Pull the balls a little harder so that the furthest reaches the level of the hand. Every time a ball reaches this height, drop the ball in your hand and grab that one! The Guinness World Record (last time I checked) was 3,208 consecutive sacks by Maximilion Leidolf of Germany. This took 24 minutes and 52 seconds on February 12, 2000!
- Bounce Tricks: Try bouncing a ball on the ground or kicking a ball gently. Keep the pattern looking smooth.
- String tricks: Wrapping the astrojax around various parts of the body. You may be able to temporarily let go of the rope and grab it again after it has twisted around the finger, leg, etc.
Astrojax history
Astrojax was invented by the American physicist Larry Shaw, who discovered the basic principles while still in graduate school. He was very interested and excited about all the complex patterns this simple arrangement created, so he took the time to work on the idea. It took almost 2 years and hundreds of prototypes before Larry Shaw had his idea patented.
The science behind why Astrojax works
Astrojax is a fascinating new toy that illustrates a wide variety of basic scientific principles.
- Rotational dynamics: A metal weight concentrates the mass in the center of the middle ball. This allows the middle ball to spin quickly. An ice skater uses this principle when carrying in his arms during a spin to turn faster.
- Planetary / Orbital Motion: During vertical orbits, the outer ball orbits around the central ball. During horizontal orbits, both balls orbit in perfect circles. Our earth orbits the sun and our moon orbits the earth in ellipses that are not entirely circular, but quite close!