The globe consists of two concentric spheres mounted on a common axle and supported on a frame with a base.The inner sphere (1) in the above illustration) is 4" in diameter and represents the EarthThe continents are marked on it in their correct relative positionsThe outer sphere (2) is transparentIt is 12.5" in diameter and has the constellations and their stars marked on itYellow shading indicates the Milky Way the plane of our galaxyThe axle (3) that carries both spheres allows them to be rotated independently.An angle scale is marked on the frame (4) that supports the axleThe angles are marked every degree and extend from zero at the equator to 87 in both directionsThe frame is fixed to a round base (5) so that the axle is held at an angle of 23.5 to the vertical representing the inclination of the Earth's spin axis to the axis of its orbit around the sun.
The Celestial Globe is a demonstration device that shows the apparent positions of the stars visible from Earth. The three dimensional representation allows the relative angular positions of the constellations to be visualized and permits students to estimate which stars will be visible from different places on Earth for any rotational position of the planet.
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