Celestial table globe

Celestial table globe. Astronomical details on the sphere include a magnitude table in front of Ursa Major. The Milky Way is labelled. A total of three stars and two star groups are named. The 48 Ptolemaic constellations and two of the non-Ptolemaic constellations are drawn. However, not all the Ptolemaic constellations are labelled and some of them are spelt incorrectly.

The cartography is copied from a celestial globe of 1536 by Caspar Vopel. The names and the style of the constellations are identical, apart from the fact that the engravings for the constellations and the graduated scale are rough compared to those of Vopel. The maker obviously was an amateur and the use of soft copper, which was easier to cut, supports this. Therefore, the globe may have been made any time after 1536. For full details about the cartography and construction of this globe please refer to the related publication.

Object Details

ID: GLB0095
Collection: Astronomical and navigational instruments; Charts and maps
Type: Table globe
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Vopel, after Caspar
Date made: After 1536
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection
Measurements: Diameter: 290 mm