Mercator's Globes

The University of Lausanne inwards Switzerland has released ii interactive 3d globes which are digitized versions of ii of the University's globes made past times Gerard Mercator inwards the 16th century. The ii of late discovered globes be every bit a homogeneous pair, ane beingness a terrestrial globe, the other a celestial globe.

The University has used Esri's Scene Viewer to exercise their ii interactive 3d globes from Mercator's original. This allows y'all to inspect Mercator's public Globe together with Mercator's Celestial Globe inwards exceptional from your ain browser.

Each of Mercator's globes has a wooden base of operations together with a wooden telephone which houses a rotating sphere. The globe spheres themselves accept a diameter of 42 cm.


The public globe is made from plates engraved past times Mercator inwards Louvain inwards 1541. Mercator's public globe improves significantly on the Ptolemaic sentiment of the public which dominated during the 16th century. For example, the Mediterranean together with the representation of Africa are much to a greater extent than accurate than many other contemporary maps based on Ptolemy.

You tin read much to a greater extent than almost how the globes were authenticated, their importance together with composition on the University of Lausanne's website The Mercator Globes at the University of Lausanne (website inwards French).