Celestial globe

Unknown artist

In the 17th century, it was customary to sell globes in pairs. A celestial globe shows the planets and constellations. Cartographers relied on mariners to provide them with records they made of the skies on their voyages. The constellations dominate the globe. Some of the names are still in use today, while others such as Boethius, the man following the Great Bear, have become obsolete.