MOVA Titan self-rotating globe

Titan Description 

Using photos delivered from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, this design uses infrared mapping to give you a get a firsthand look at Saturn's largest moon's terrain, which includes soft sand and icy methane lakes. Titan Moon MOVA magnetic Globe is a unique accent piece among your existing room decoration, but is also well-suited for pairing with our other Outer Space Collection globes.

TITAN: EXPLORING SATURN’S MOON

Back in 2013, Alexander Hayes, a scientist on the Cassini Mission to Saturn, reached out to us about making a MOVA Globe version on one of Saturn’s moons, Titan, as a gift to his graduate school advisors. What started as a unique gift turned into one of our most intriguing and different MOVA Globe designs. We wanted to let Mr. Hayes answer the most common questions we get asked about this fascinating celestial body.

What do the gold stripes in this Titan image represent?

The gold stripes are false color strips of RADAR imaging. Since the spacecraft orbits Saturn, and not Titan, we acquire oblique stripes of images every time we fly by. The background color image is a lower resolution global map from the Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, an infrared spectrometer on Cassini.

What should people know about Titan?

A lot! For example, right now, it is likely raining somewhere on Titan. Titan is the only other place in the solar system, other than Earth, where standing lakes and seas are stable on the surface. These lakes and seas are part of a hydrologic cycle that is similar to our own water cycle, except that it works with methane (think liquid natural gas) instead of water.

In many ways, Titan’s landscapes are eerily similar to the ones we see here on Earth. You can find sand dunes similar in both size and shape to the largest in the dune fields of the Saharan and Namibian sand seas of Africa. Alluvial fans (cone-shaped sediment flows left behind by rivers, streams, and landslides) resemble those found in the Atacama Desert of central Chile, and mountain chains are formed by tectonic forces similar to those responsible for the Himalayas that span southern Asia. Perhaps most astonishingly, lakes and seas scatter the polar landscape with shoreline features reminiscent of both marine and freshwater coastal environments found across our planet.

However, the dunes are not silicate sand; they are instead organic materials more like plastic than quartz. Rather than rock fragments delivered by flowing water, alluvial fans on Titan are a mixture of water ice and organic sediment delivered by flowing hydrocarbon liquids (methane and ethane). The mountains are broken-up sections of dirty water ice, and the lakes and seas are vast pools of liquid hydrocarbons. Despite these differences, the same mechanisms (such as wind and rain) sculpt and transport sediment across the landscape on Titan as they do on Earth. The similarities make Titan a natural laboratory for studying the processes that shape our own planet, including extreme conditions impossible to recreate in earthbound laboratories.

Are you looking for a floating globe or a levitating globe or even a spinning globe? MOVA globes has a great offer in which everyone can choose. You can choose MOVA planets such as Jupiter globe Earth globe but even Moon globe. These rotating magnetic globes will win you over. The Line of MOVA Globes is definitely something you cannot miss.

YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A GLOBE LIKE THIS

Our unique spinning globes combine power from ambient light and torque from the earth’s magnetic field to create soothing rotations. No batteries required and no sloppy cords to detract from your enjoyment. Elevate your décor or gift the unexpected. 

Unique gift item for home decorators, tech geeks, world travelers, astronomy enthusiasts, educators, corporation gifts and the person who already has everything. Globe's silent movement reflects the steady rotation of the earth while sparking conversation and wonder for anyone who comes across its path

INNOVATION COMES IN ALL SIZES

Well, in three distinct sizes. From the standard 4.5-inch / 11,4 cm, detailed 6-inch / 15,2 cm, and the larger 8.5-inch / 21,6 cmglobes which serve as a main focal point in any room. To put things into perspective, you can compare our 4.5-inch to a cantaloupe, 6-inch to a honeydew, and 8.5-inch to a watermelon.

• 4.5 inches / 11,4 cm in diameter, fitting in the palm of your hand; slightly larger than a softball. After base assembly, measures approximately 7 inches / 17,8 cm in height and weighs 4 pounds / 1,8 kg

• 6 inches / 15,2 cm in diameter. After base assembly, measures approximately 10 inches / 25,4 cm in height and weighs 6 pounds / 2,7 kg

• 8.5 inches  / 21,6 cm in diameter, slightly smaller than a soccer ball. After base assembly, measures approximately 12 inches / 30,5 cmin height and weighs 13 pounds  / 5,8 kg

STRIKING GOOD LOOKS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING

From their distinctive graphics to their advanced technology, it only takes one look to realize these Globes are something special. 

THE SECRET'S IN THE SCIENCE

Each globe has a transparent outer shell made from carefully selected, high-quality acrylic. This external layer remains stationary while an internal one spins using advanced magnets for torque and solar cells to power the movement.

Each globe combines vibrant artwork with our patented technology, creating a flawless rotation without batteries or messy cords. Hidden solar cells use ambient natural or artificial light for power, while the earth’s magnetic field provides the necessary torque. These elements work seamlessly to power a 'whisper-quiet' mechanism, allowing the globe to rotate within its clear outer shell. Each piece is assembled with such precision, it appears the inner and outer layers are one – rotating without any outside power source.