Anyone lucky enough to have seen the planet Earth from space would agree that the view is striking. In the cold vacuum of outer space, the view of our terrestrial home is unobstructed as the planet hangs like a giant blue marble in the silent vastness. Flat maps of the world display the boundaries of over two hundred of the worlds countries, the oceans, and the frozen poles. Globe stands provide us with a view of this beautiful planet in all of its three dimensional glory.
As an educational tool, there is no substitute for an Earth globe. One can see at a glance how the continents relate to each other in size and distance. Some globes and globes stands are purely decorative. Decorative globes may show landmasses and other global features as almost a caricature. Other types of decorative globes and globe stands feature decorative lighting effects that are great for child. For those considered geographical or cartographical purists, there are globes available that are highly accurate. Designer globes offer a variety of styles from Old World traditional to modern chic.
The history of the globe is thought to date back to one hundred fifty BME. The ancient Greeks are credited, not only with the introducing the concept of Earth as a sphere. Eratosthenes had reportedly calculated the circumference of the Earth. The ancient Greeks observed that a post, planted in a fixed position, would cast a different length shadow at various times throughout the day and through various seasons. It is really quite easy to understand how the ancient Greeks and other ancient cultures calculated that the Earth was round. It was necessary only to observe a lunar or solar eclipse. The shadows cast by the Earth and moon during an eclipse were observed correctly as round or spherical.
The planet rotates on its axis and this rotation is responsible for many observable phenomenon, like the changes of day and night. If the Earth did not spin, there would not be any gravity, since the rotation that produces gravitational pressure. Sir Isaac Newton discovered and measured this important principle, having been the first to measure gravitational force.
For thousands of years, people believed that the Earth was flat. Several factors went into the formation of this belief. Standing on a fixed position, one could not see beyond the horizon. Far out to sea, the earth appears to stop. At a higher altitude, as one might find on a hilltop, the curvature of the earth would still not be visible.
The superstitions about the edge of the world are a significant part of mythology and ancient lore. Sailors have always been very superstitious and tales going to lands end were complete with stories of sea monsters and death. Legends claimed that great monsters lived in the sea just beyond the visible horizon and sailing into those waters meant certain death.
Despite strong evidence that Norse sailors navigated from modern day Scandinavia to North America, some historians give credit to Christopher Columbus with proving that the world was round. Regardless of who gets the credit, the observable evidence against a flat earth was irrefutable. Even today, there are groups of people who still believe that the Earth is flat. The Flat Earth Society is one of these groups who disagree with the observations made from space. The group has even claimed that manned space flights and satellite observations are manufactured on a Hollywood film studio.
The production of early globes was dependent on maps available at the time. Cartography has always been an evolving science. Early seafarers were the main source of information regarding shoreline shapes, water depths, and distances. The accuracy of map making improved along side advances in celestial navigation.
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