Accession No

6542

Brief Description

20-inch plastic transparent celestial globe with miniature terrestrial globe inside, ‘Cosmosphere’, by Farquhar Transparent Globes, U.S.A., c. 1965

Origin

U.S.A.; Pennsylvania; Philadelphia

Maker

Farquhar Transparent Globes

Class

astronomy; demonstration

Earliest Date

1963

Latest Date

1970

Inscription Date

1963

Material

plastic (lucite; synthetic felt); metal (stainless steel; brass); paint

Dimensions

560mm tall x 520mm wide x 520mm deep

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from TESSERACT; Box 151; Hastings-on-Hudson; New York 10706; U.S.A, on or before 08/07/2014. Item 6 in Tesseract catalogue 99, summer 2014.

Inscription

© 1963
Farquhar
Transparent Globes
Philadelphia, PA.
USA

Description Notes

20-inch plastic transparent celestial globe with miniature terrestrial globe inside, ‘Cosmosphere’, by Farquhar Transparent Globes, USA, c. 1965.

20-inch lucite plastic sphere, printed on the inside with markings showing grid of celestial sphere, plus stars, constellations, milky way, galaxies, and nebulae. Sphere comprises two half hemispheres, the line of celestial equator defined by join between two halves. Celestial sphere grid shows diurnal circles at 10 degree intervals, numbered graduations on the 0o and 180o hour circles. Hour circles at 15 degree intervals, numbered graduation marks (in degrees and in hours) above the equator band. Path of ecliptic marked by black circles every 5o (also marked as days), with names of months given above or below path. Milky way marked in yellow outline. Stars marked with yellow dots, magnitude defined by size of dots, with 7 different sizes representing stars from 1st to 5th magnitude. Constellations delineated with blue lines connecting stars, with names in blue. Greek symbols used to label stars within constellations. Certain key stars named in black. Different symbols used to denote double & multiple stars, variable stars, globular star clusters, galactic star clusters (i.e. galaxies), planetary nebulae, and diffuse nebulae. Various astronomical facts (e.g. dimensions of milky way) written in black. Black ring near top of sphere shows movement of celestial pole over time. 90mm hole cut into sphere, centred on 35o right ascension, 22o declination.

Protruding inside the celestial sphere from the centre of the southernmost point is a stainless steel rod, to which a lucite terrestrial globe is attached, sitting so that the Earth’s equator is aligned with the celestial equator. Lines of longitude are detailed in black at 5o intervals; lines of latitude are also detailed in black at 10o intervals. The globe depicts countries, some major cities and their relevant political divisions using red for communism, green for democracy and orange. Oceans labelled but transparent.

Terrestrial globe appears to have retained old colonial names for countries, for example the Gold Coast (which became Ghana in 1957); also Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (which became Sudan in 1956). Some countries have been omitted.

Attached to the rod is an additional plastic ring, held in place by two metal hinges, which can be used to measure azimuth or altitude and thus determine the location of a celestial body relative to a specific location on Earth. The ring shows 360o at 1o and 10o intervals, as well as displaying 8 cardinal points at their relevant degree points, and can be rotated by its two hinges.

The stainless steel rod can be manually rotated from the bottom, rotating the terrestrial globe and the ring attached to it.

Attached to the top at roughly 68o right ascension and 70o declination is a black handle which also rotates, to which two metal rods are attached. Via this handle, a small yellow lunar globe can be rotated to orbit the terrestrial globe, aligned with the ecliptic equator.

The celestial globe is designed to sit on a transparent lucite holder, which supports the globe via three prongs with felt pads on. At the centre of the holder is a magnetic compass which no longer functions, used to orientate the globe, inscribed ‘Taylor USA’ and marked at 15o intervals as well as 8 cardinal points.

Complete.

References

Events