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The Tricky Art of Martian Globe Making

Maps and globes have been valuable commodities since we figured out how to make them, but not all maps get the full globe treatment. Spacey places like Mars have been long mapped from afar, but there are nearly zero globe makers offering these historical maps in globe form. 

Dr. Michael Plichta is one of the few who does. His Mannheim, German company, Planetenkugel Manufaktur, specializes in traditional handcrafted globes with extra faraway subject matters.

Plichta’s first design, titled “Mars and its Canals,” is based on the observations and map made in 1906 by astronomer, Percival Lowell. Lowell was a vocal believer in intelligent Martian life and thought the patterns he interpreted as canals were proof. Unfortunately for him, closer photos taken just a few decades later debunked not just the presence of Martians, but their canals too. 

The Lowell maps remain as a beautiful, if kooky, portrait of astronomy as a growing field, and thanks to Planetenkugel Manufaktur, they have more 3D appeal than ever. For more photos of Plichta’s process and new designs check them out on Facebook.