"Grand Sohlberg" celestial globe, Wh.6503 (C) Whipple Museum of the History of Science
As part of my series of suggestions of places to visit around as a worthwhile break from revision I got in touch with the Whipple Museum of the History of Science and asked what they thought their star item was. They got back to me and told me all about the "Grand Sohlberg" glass celestial globe which looks like a really wacky and interesting piece of kit!
Here's what they say about the globe:
"Because the stars are all far away, they look to us as though they’re on the inside of a sphere. A celestial globe maps the stars, as seen from Earth, onto the outside of a sphere. But this means the constellations are back-to-front when viewed externally. This Swedish globe, made in the late 19th century, solves that problem by having the celestial sphere made from glass, and including a tiny terrestrial globe at its centre. You can look through the globe to see the stars from the inside.
What’s particularly fun about this globe is that it could be filled halfway with coloured liquid in order to show the stars visible from different places on Earth.
The ornate cast-iron base, painted black and with gilt decoration, is also impressive (and looks not entirely unlike an old-fashioned sewing machine).
You can find this quirky globe alongside globes of the Earth, the Moon, and even Mars, in the Whipple Museum’s new Globes Gallery."
So, if you need a revision break this afternoon, why not pop along to the Whipple museum and have a look at this and other globes first hand.... I think you should ask someone to demonstrate what happens when you fill it halfway with coloured liquid!
Here's what they say about the globe:
"Because the stars are all far away, they look to us as though they’re on the inside of a sphere. A celestial globe maps the stars, as seen from Earth, onto the outside of a sphere. But this means the constellations are back-to-front when viewed externally. This Swedish globe, made in the late 19th century, solves that problem by having the celestial sphere made from glass, and including a tiny terrestrial globe at its centre. You can look through the globe to see the stars from the inside.
What’s particularly fun about this globe is that it could be filled halfway with coloured liquid in order to show the stars visible from different places on Earth.
The ornate cast-iron base, painted black and with gilt decoration, is also impressive (and looks not entirely unlike an old-fashioned sewing machine).
You can find this quirky globe alongside globes of the Earth, the Moon, and even Mars, in the Whipple Museum’s new Globes Gallery."
So, if you need a revision break this afternoon, why not pop along to the Whipple museum and have a look at this and other globes first hand.... I think you should ask someone to demonstrate what happens when you fill it halfway with coloured liquid!