Babson Globe
At the foot of the main stairway in the
Library stands the Henry Blake Babson Geophysical Globe.
Custom-made for the Academy, the globe is the gift of the
industrialist and yachtsman for whom it is named and symbolizes
the mission of the Academy educating students for a world-girdling
profession.
Seven feet six inches in height and mounted
at a 23° 30¢ angle, corresponding to that between
the earth’s axis and the orbital plane, the globe
is rotated in its base once every three minutes. Gradations
of sea depth are detailed by the use of eight shades of
blue, darkening at increased depths. Land areas are rendered
in shades of green and brown to represent normal summer
vegetation.
The Babson Globe was created by cartographers
and craftsmen based on consultation with geologists and
geographers. The resultant globe represents the earth as
seen without cloud cover from approximately 3,500 miles
in space. On the surface, one inch equals 104.75 miles.
The vertical scale, to emphasize heights of land, averages
forty times the horizontal scale.
Diameter of globe at sea level: 75 inches.
Overall height of globe: 90 inches.
Highest point (Mt. Everest): 5/8 inch.
Construction: hand-laminated in fiberglass
and epoxy.
Rotation: 1/3 revolution per minute.
Weight: each hemisphere approximately 160
lbs.
Base with motor and axis, 210 lbs.
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