Globe

By Devender
What is a globe?
A globe is a sphere or ball that bears a map of
the Earth on its surface and is mounted on an axle
that permits rotation. The ancient Greeks, who
knew the Earth to be a sphere, were the first to use
globes to represent the surface of the Earth.
History
✩ Crates of Mallus is said to have made one in about 150 BCE. The earliest
surviving terrestrial globe was made in Nürnberg in 1492 by Martin Behaim,
who almost undoubtedly influenced Christopher Columbus to attempt to sail
west to the Orient. In ancient times, globes also were used to represent the
constellations; the earliest surviving globe is the marble Farnese globe, a
celestial globe dating from about 25 CE.
Formation
✩ Today’s globe, typically hollow, may be made of almost any light, strong
material, such as cardboard, plastic, or metal. Some are translucent.
They may also be inflatable. Terrestrial globes are usually mounted with the
axis tilted 23.5° from the vertical, to help simulate the inclination of the Earth
relative to the plane in which it orbits the Sun.