LEGO 42254 Solar System Planets in Orbit: the successor has been revealed, and what that means for LEGO 42179 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit

Do you know that feeling when a set that has been on your list for two years suddenly gets a successor? Today, November 2, LEGO revealed its first Technic set of 2027: 42254 Solar System Planets in Orbit, a planetarium with a crank that makes all eight planets orbit the sun. The news itself is one set, but the story for a collector lies in the transition, because according to StoneWars, the predecessor 42179 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit is on the list of sets that are reaching the end of their lifespan.

What LEGO has announced about 42254

StoneWars broke the news today, with the specifications as LEGO lists them. We are taking them literally:

• 572 bricks, age 10+.
• A hand crank drives a gear mechanism that moves all eight planets around the sun at their own pace.
• On sale January 1, 2027, with the listed end date of December 31, 2029.

At the time StoneWars wrote, there were no images on the LEGO product page yet. Another site claims to see a new foil element for Saturn. Now that we have the official photos on LEGO, we can say with 100% certainty that there really is a foil element to represent the rings around Saturn

What StoneWars says about 42179, and what LEGO does not say about it

In the same article, StoneWars writes that LEGO 42179 Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit has meanwhile ended up on its end-of-life list. The list StoneWars refers to is the site's own list, compiled by the editorial team, and not an announcement from the LEGO Group. Meanwhile, LEGO has confirmed the end of 42179. What does this mean? The stock that still exists will be sold. The production of the set has already stopped. You can therefore still find this in online webshops and physical stores as long as supplies last.

Two planetariums side by side

42179 builds the Earth, the moon, and the sun, with one crank that makes the moon orbit the Earth and the Earth orbit the sun. 42254 expands that to all eight planets, each with its own orbital period. The choice between the two is therefore not a choice between old and new, but between two scales:

• Those who want to understand the mechanism and have little shelf space are well served by 42179.
• Those who want to see the entire solar system move should wait until January 1.
• Those who want both have a reason with the new set not to postpone the old one any longer.
  

What happens to 42179 when LEGO no longer makes it

A set that LEGO removes from its range will not return to the LEGO store. That is exactly the part of the LEGO range we focus on: Technic sets and other sets that are no longer being made, new in sealed boxes where possible and as Pre-Loved where that is no longer possible. Pre-Loved is second-hand, genuine LEGO, and checked by us before it goes out the door. Whether 42179 will be among them at some point, we do not know today, and we do not promise it either.