Quick Overview
- Craftsman made in Germany.
- All Place Names and Cartography in English.
- Desktop, Brass Plated base and Strong Plastic Full-Meridian.
- 13.4 Inch Diameter, Physical and Political Illuminated Acrylic Ball.
- 15"W x 13.4"D x 17"H; Weight: 11 lbs.
The 13.4 inch Marco Polo Illuminated Desktop Globe by Columbus Globes is filled to the brim with richly detailed cartographical splendor! The 13.4 Inch acrylic sphere is held 17 inches tall by the stainless steel base but is also 15 inches wide because of the full, horizontal meridian. Besides a vertical sturdy plastic meridian, which has latitudinal degree markings, a horizontal meridian bisects the globe and features a notch for each of the day's 24 hours. It can be used to tell what time of day it is in any part of the world.
The desktop globe's illumination only covers half of the model, making the sunrise and sunset times readily apparent across the world. At the base of the stand there is a dial that has a notch for every day of the year. By turning the dial, the globe replicates the earth's yearly orbit around the sun. A bright spot on the globe represents the sun, and as the dial turns, the spot alternates from the Topic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn. The sun's relation to the earth, along with other astronomical information, is manifested on Marco Polo.
When the globe is illuminated, the lit part of the sphere represents the areas of the planet experiencing daytime, and the dark spot represents night time. There are three vertical rings on the edge of the dark patch, which shows the three twilight zones: civil, nautical and astronomical. In addition to the wealth of astronomical value, the Columbus Marco Polo Illuminated Desktop Globe 13 Inch features a physical map that also has political features, addition to its geographical merit. The Marco Polo is the most information rich globe on the market, making it an indispensable educational tool! The base comes in your choice of stainless steel, brass or wood.
