10-inch celestial globe
Date: 1825-1850
Inventory Number: 1997-1-1821
Classification: Globe
Subject:
Maker: C. Smith & Son (1799 - 1888)
Owner: Radcliffe College (1894 - 1999)
Cultural Region:
Place of Origin:
Dimensions:
37.6 × 26.5 × 26.5 cm (14 13/16 × 10 7/16 × 10 7/16 in.)
blue board box: 40.6 × 32.7 × 31.8 cm (16 × 12 7/8 × 12 1/2 in.)
DescriptionThe ten-inch celestial globe is currently a pale ochre with green patches where the constellations were hand-colored. The gores meet at the ecliptic poles. The globe is marked with circles of celestial longitude and latitude, the ecliptic, the celestial equator, the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, the Arctic and Antarctic circles, and the zodiacal band. The equator and ecliptic are divided every 1°. A grid of 20° arc running from 10°S to 10°N celestial latitude forms the zodiacal band.
The globe has a key to stars up to the 6th magnitude.
The celestial globe is mounted on its equatorial polar axis with a metal rod going right up through the globe. The rod is set into a disk of wood 6 inches (15.1 cm) in diameter. Three great circles made of brass rod are attached to the axis. They represent the colures and the ecliptic. The ends of a thin brass wire are inserted into holes on the solstitial colure. When the globe is rotated so that the ecliptic poles lie on this colure, the wire marks an arc of celestial longitude from ecliptic pole to pole.
The globe has a key to stars up to the 6th magnitude.
The celestial globe is mounted on its equatorial polar axis with a metal rod going right up through the globe. The rod is set into a disk of wood 6 inches (15.1 cm) in diameter. Three great circles made of brass rod are attached to the axis. They represent the colures and the ecliptic. The ends of a thin brass wire are inserted into holes on the solstitial colure. When the globe is rotated so that the ecliptic poles lie on this colure, the wire marks an arc of celestial longitude from ecliptic pole to pole.
Signedbelow cartouche: Smith and Son
Inscribedon cartouche: SMITH'S / CELESTIAL GLOBE / Shewing the Number, Order & Magnitude / of upwards of 4000 Stars, / on which are laid down all the Stars / contained in the catalogues of / the most celebrated Astronomers.
FunctionA video with information on the design and use of celestial globes, produced by Museo Galileo, is available on their website here.
Historical AttributesUsed by Radcliffe College in Byerly Hall.
ProvenanceByerly Hall, Radcliffe College; transfer to CHSI, 1964.