MOVA 4-1/2" Solar Spinning Vesta Globe
Product Code: 5476
Our Price: $160.00
Description
Vesta is the second largest asteroid in the solar system and one of the last remaining protoplanets discovered in 1807. The impressive asteroid is recreated with a topographic map from NASA’s Dawn mission, featuring a beautiful color-coded array of blues, reds and greens that distinguish differences in surface elevation – red showing higher elevation and blue showing lower.
The Mova globe sits on its little tripod base and rotates. It looks like the arms of the base would hold it in place but it does not. You are intrigued as you wonder how it spins without a power cord. It could be batteries, but when you take it off the base it not only continues to rotate but you can see nowhere that batteries would go. Put it on the table and it still moves!
Low-light solar cell technology
Inside each MOVA globe is a patented, ultra low friction drive mechanism and a set of special solar cells. The globe allows enough light to pass through and energize these solar cells to power the drive mechanism. MOVA globe may turn on a mere 1 to 5 millionth of a watt of electricity provided by these solar cells!
The MOVA globe rotates peacefully and silently using only the energy of room light and the force of the earth’s magnetic field. The MOVA globe is an inner globe that rotates and is contained within an outer shell made of very clear acrylic that does not rotate. The thin space between the inner globe and outer shell is filled with a safe, perfectly clear fluid that buoyantly supports the inner globe completely out of contact with the outer shell. This inner globe, floating and turning in a virtually friction-free environment and energized by light, is analogous to the earth itself. The MOVA globe is being brought to market at a time when people everywhere will understand and appreciate this analogy. The optical properties of the outer sell and fluid are carefully chosen so that the graphic features on the surface of the inner globe are magnified and appear to be on the outer surface of the outer shell. This means that the outer shell actually appears to move. The MOVA globe can rest on an attractive three fingered stand that is provided, or on any other base you choose. The MOVA globe appears to rotate in spite of resting on the stand, in quiet defiance of commonly held ideas about the laws of friction. A carefully designed, and highly efficient drive mechanism within the inner globe drives the rotation even in room light. Energy for the drive is provided by very advanced solar cells within the inner globe, illuminated by light passing through the graphic on the globe. The drive includes a magnetic element that reacts with the earth’ s magnetic field, much as a common compass does, to provide torque to drive the globe. All of these elements of the MOVA globe cooperate to create a beautiful, magical object that provides a meditative point of focus to any room.
This model is the 4-1/2" Diameter Vesta globe. The globe comes packaged with our 3-pronged acrylic base. Optional bases available (see pulldown menu).
This product has Free Shipping within the Continental USA. Please contact us for AK, HI, PR and international shipping costs.
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