Eartha
Earthais the world's largest rotating and revolvingglobe,located within the former headquarters of theDeLormemapping corporation inYarmouth, Maine.[1]Garminpurchased the company and the building in 2016.[2]The globe weighs approximately 5,600 pounds (2,500 kg), and has a diameter of over 41 feet (12.5 m).
Construction
[edit]The globe was built with a scale of 1:1,000,000, on which one inch represents sixteen miles (1mm = 1km).[3][4]As with most globes, it is mounted at a 23.5 degree angle, the same axial tilt as the Earth itself; thus theequatoris diagonal to the floor. It uses acantilevermount with two motors, and simulates one day's revolution and rotation every 18 minutes, though it is possible for the motors to fully rotate the globe in as little as one minute.[citation needed]
The globe was completed in 1998,[3]after two years of construction and planning,[4]and it uses a composite database built fromsatellite imagery,shaded relief,coloredbathymetry,and information aboutroad networksand urban areas. The database used to generate the surface images was approximately 140gigabytes.[citation needed]
Former CEO of DeLorme Maps, David DeLorme, designed the globe, while Lewiston-based surveyor and civil engineer, Vincent J.P. Leblanc, was involved in the building project.[5]Map technician Jeff Clark was responsible for the 792 plastic sections that cover the rotating globe.[4]
Eartha is contained in anatriumwith several glass walls that allow it to be seen from outside of the building; it is readily visible fromU.S. Route 1.At night, the globe is illuminated.[6]
Eartha is constructed around atrussstructure which is calledOmni-Span,and consists of over 6000 pieces of aluminum tubing. The map panels each cover 8 degrees oflatitudeand 10 degrees oflongitude,and are attached to the trusses with a custom-designed system of hidden bolts.
Public viewing
[edit]
The atrium containing Eartha is open to the public during business hours. There was an adjacent coffee shop which, in 2016, replaced a gift shop that carried various DeLorme and geography-related products. A cafeteria returned at the time of Garmin's acquisition.
The mounting equipment is in a large pit below floor level and is visible to visitors, but the stairway down is chained off to prevent public access. There are two balconies that allow visitors to more easily view the higher parts of the globe.
Eartha was originally designed to be 42 feet (12.8 m) in diameter. In 1999,surveyorshired by theGuinness Book of World Recordsmeasured the globe at 41 feet 1.5 inches (12.53 m).[7]The previous record holder is theGlobe of Peacelocated inApecchio,Pesaro,Italy.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]
- ^abBahr, Jeff (2009).Amazing and Unusual America.Chicago, Illinois, USA: Publications International, Ltd. p. 8.ISBN978-1-4127-1683-3.
- ^"Garmin® completes acquisition of DeLorme®".Garmin Newsroom.2016-03-03.Retrieved2021-11-15.
- ^ab"Eartha".Atlas Obscura.
- ^abcSharp, David (24 July 1998). "EARTH STARTS TURNING IN YARMOUTH TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING, DELORME'S GIANT GLOBE - THE WORLD'S LARGEST - IS FINISHED".Portland Press Herald.Associated Press.ProQuest276844280.
- ^Skelton, Kathryn (18 June 2012). "People you know: Vincent J. P. leblanc -- late surveyor, engineer had his life mapped out".McClatchy - Tribune Business News.ProQuest1020821381.
- ^Team, Wordlesstech (2013-02-16)."Eartha world's Largest Rotating Globe".wordlessTech.Retrieved2020-10-12.
- ^"Travel Notes Big Eartha".Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.23 May 1999. p. 4.ProQuest260954725.