Long before there were planetariums or advanced technologies
available for studying the sky, people devised ways of depicting
the sun, moon, planets, and stars in relation to the Earth.
There was a desire to learn about astronomical history and
events; people wanted to figure out how Earth fit into the grand
scheme of the universe. Globes helped to put objects into
perspective, and served as scientific instruments, ornamental
showpieces, and physical illustrations of the astronomy beliefs
of the day. Globes have been visual representations of the
physical characteristics of Earth and Sky for thousands of
years. Generally, there are three types of globes. Terrestrial
globes detail geographical features of the Earth. There are also
globes that illustrate the physical features of celestial
bodies, such as the moon or Mars. Celestial globes, like the one
pictured here, are spherical maps of the skymodels of the
visible heavens. There is written evidence that proves that the
ancient world was familiar with the sci