Globe

Lore & Background

The sphericity of Earth was established by Greek astronomy in the 3rd century BC, and the earliest known terrestrial globe was constructed by Crates of Mallus in the mid-2nd century BC. No terrestrial globes from Antiquity survive, but a celestial globe survives as part of the Farnese Atlas, a 2nd-century AD Roman copy.

Reader's Guide

Globes serve as the only representation of Earth that does not distort the shape or size of large features. They are made in various sizes, with many having a circumference of one metre (scale 1:40 million) or a diameter of one foot (scale 1:42 million). Some globes feature raised relief for topography, with elevations exaggerated for visibility. Most modern globes include parallels and meridians for coordinates, and many show an analemma diagram. Historically, celestial globes reflected geocentric models until Copernicus proposed heliocentrism. The manufacture of globes evolved from glued paper gores on wooden spheres to modern thermoplastic hemispheres. Notable large globes include the Unisphere (37 m diameter), Wyld's Great Globe (18.39 m), and Eartha (12 m diameter).

Did You Know?

• The word 'globe' comes from the Latin 'globus', meaning 'sphere'.
• The Farnese Atlas, a 2nd-century Roman copy, holds the oldest surviving celestial globe.
• Some globes have raised relief with mountains exaggerated up to 57 times their correct scale.