Sophia Desktop World Globe

FINDING PLACES ON YOUR GLOBE: Although a globe is round, with no beginning or end, there are two main reference lines from which all distances and locations are calculated. One is the equator, running east and west around the middle of the globe, dividing it into two equal halves. The other is the prime meridian, an imaginary line running from pole to pole and cutting through Greenwich, a section of London, England. Both of these lines are 0º and the globe numbering system starts at the point where they intersect. All lines running east and west, parallel to the equator, are called latitude lines. They are sometimes referred to as parallels because they are parallel to each other. Latitude lines are shown at 15º intervals north and south of the equator. Look at New Orleans on your globe and you will find it located at 30º. Since it is north of the equator, we say it is 30º north latitude, or 30N. The lines running north and south from pole to pole are called longitude lines, sometimes referred to as meridians. Longitude lines are numbered along the equator on your globe at 15º intervals east and west of the prime meridian at Greenwich. Again using New Orleans as an example, we find it located at 90º or 90º west of 0º longitude. Thus, New Orleans is located at 30N latitude and 90W longitude. Prime Meridian Latitude lines determine angular distances north or south of the equator. Longitude lines determine angular distances east or west of the prime meridian. Remember, latitude lines go from 0º at the equator to 90º at the poles. Longitude lines go from 0º at the prime meridian to 180º, a point on the exact opposite side of the globe. In giving a position, latitude is always stated first. Lines of latitude and longitude appear on your globe only at certain intervals; otherwise, they would cover up all other map detail.

USING THE TIME DIAL: You can tell the time of any place on Earth by counting the number of meridians and figuring one hour later for each one east of you or one hour earlier for each one west of you. Your globe has a time dial loosely capped over the north pole, and you will see that it is divided into twenty-four equal parts, each representing one hour (or one meridian). Numbering is from noon to midnight and from midnight to noon. Half the dial is dark to indicate the darkness hours from sunset to sunrise and half is light for daylight hours. Let us suppose you are in St. Louis. It is 10:00 A.M. and you want to know the time in Paris, in Cairo, and in Tokyo. Set the time dial so that 10:00 A.M. is directly in line with St. Louis, sighting along the 90ºW meridian. Now rotate the globe (the time dial turns with it) until you find Paris. Sighting up along the nearest meridian, you find it is 4:00 P.M. Turn the globe to Cairo and repeat the procedure. It is 6:00 P.M. there. Now, rotating the globe all the way to Tokyo, you find the day is over and it’s 1:00 A.M. the next morning.