GLOBE

A round body, or sphere; a term commonly applied to the earth. The term artificial globe is more particularly used to denote a globe of metal, plaster, paper, fee, on the surface of which a map of the earth or of the celestial constellations is delineated, with the principal circles of the sphere. In the former case it is called the terrestrial in the latter the celestial globe. Artificial globes are used for the purpose of conveying to children the lirst ideas of the figure and rotation of the earth, of latitude and long it <de, and the situation of places with respect to each other, uirt to the sun at the different seasons of the year. It is usual to employ them also for the purpose of solving mechanically a few elementary problems of astronomy, relative to the difference of the hour of the day at different places, the times of the rising and setting of the sun, the limits of the visibility of eclipses, fee. The answers, however, which can be found to questions of this nature, by means of ordinary globes at least, can only be regarded as rude approximations;and hence the use of globes should be limited to general explanation. [s. 534]