Or: MOVA Globe, The Ever-Rotating Globe (The Not-So-Interesting Title)

My supervisor likes collecting globes, but one of them… is rather interesting.

Hopefully this is enough of a proof

Yes, of course! Jupiter is indeed interesting! But that’s not just the case. You can’t see from the image above, but the globe seems like it’s rotating, supported but unassuming tripod.  It seems like magic, like there’s something supranatural behind it (or not).  I’ve read about it in passing, so I wasn’t really suprised seeing it, but it definitely put people in awe, or at least giving a second glance.

Anyway, as my Google history proving my tendency to just Google everything I deem interesting, this curious sight is definitely worthy enough to search info of. The company making it is MOVA, and it sure is famous. When I googled ‘self-rotating globe’, Google had just known it and given me correct suggestions.

Behold, the informative power of my grandpa

You see the outer shell stay static, while the inner globe rotates inside some kind of liquid to make it somewhat friction-free to keep its rotating. The spinning movement occures by the combination of solar powered motor and a torque-rotation system combined with earth’s magnetic field.

You can watch interview with its inventor (creator? I forget my English)

From the video, you can also understand the other details in making the globe, such as combination of density and viscosity of the liquid to make the inner globe stay floating in its place and rotate correctly. For explanation with diagram, you can watch

It will stop when there’s no light, as it’s solar-powered. With just the lowest amount of light though, it will start blooming, eh, rotating, on top of your desk. It will keep rotating, as long as there’s source of light powering it. (From the explanation video you can also know that from this low-lighting condition, only 10-30% of it is for powering the globe.)  So, when you aren’t in your office anymore with all lamps in the office turned off, it will shut down as well. (So if ghost glows, can’t it be powered by ghostly glow? Hmm… What’s the exact threshold of the energy needed for this thing?)

If… you are interested in buying one, you can just check the website. They sure cost pretty penny though, considering the craftmanship (both the map and the handmade globe. You have to make it veeery carefully to have as little friction as possible, considering it works even in candlelight) and the technology behind it. I haven’t planned having one of it as one of my future goals, but maybe? (definitely can’t choose though. Torn between the moon, the constellations, or the planet/satellites, just say all under Mova Space series).

P. S.: Ah, there’s also other kind of interesting globe, that’s floating/ levitating globe. They do need electricity though (as they have to be based on electromagnet, and you need certain amount of power for that)

Different kind of magic, both utilises physics