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Demonstrations pat World Maps
Animated GIF Globes

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Maps: Demo Globe World Region Country State: US|CA|AU

The following planetary globes are all drawn the same size, since there's more than 60× difference in diameter between the smallest (Pluto) and largest (Jupiter). To the right, drawn to scale, you can see all solar system bodies (except the sun) which are Pluto-sized or larger.

Most solar system bodies rotate in the same direction as they orbit the sun ("prograde"), which is counter-clockwise as seen looking down onto the north pole. The exceptions are Venus, which is inverted and so rotates the opposite way ("retrograde"), and Uranus, which is on its side, so its orientation is ambiguous.

Most planets have a substantial tilt from vertical and are also flattened, both of which are shown in the globes (and to the right). The exceptions are Mercury, which is plumb, and Venus, which is nearly spherical (flattening 1/5000).

Planets to scale



Public domain animated GIF rotating planetary globes:

Data is all NASA or NOAA. Skins mostly by Steve Albers or Björn Jónsson.
See the Data and Notes links for information about specific datasets.

Mercury:
Rotational period: 58.65 Earth
Diameter: 4,878 km (0.382 Earth)
Flattening: 1/34.25
Axial Tilt: 0°
Venus:
Rotational period: -243 Earth
Diameter: 12,104 km (0.949 Earth)
Flattening: 1/5,000
Axial Tilt: 177.36° (retrograde)
Skin: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Mercury globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 3.8 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.5 MB
fast 72 0.8 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Mercury globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 13.7 MB
medium 144 2½° 5.5 MB
fast 72 2.7 MB
Skin: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Venus globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 4.4 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.8 MB
fast 72 0.9 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Venus globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 15.2 MB
medium 144 2½° 6.1 MB
fast 72 3.1 MB
Skin2: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Venus globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 2.4 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.0 MB
fast 72 0.5 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Venus globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 7.5 MB
medium 144 2½° 3.0 MB
fast 72 1.5 MB



Earth:
Rotational period: 1 Earth
Diameter: 12,756 km (1 Earth)
Flattening: 1/298.3
Axial Tilt: 23.45°
bmarbl: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 2.4 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.0 MB
fast 72 0.5 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 6.8 MB
medium 144 2½° 2.7 MB
fast 72 1.4 MB
cloudy: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 5.0 MB
medium 144 2½° 2.0 MB
fast 72 1.0 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 17.3 MB
medium 144 2½° 6.9 MB
fast 72 3.5 MB
landmask: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 1.5 MB
medium 144 2½° 0.6 MB
fast 72 0.3 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 3.5 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.4 MB
fast 72 0.7 MB


landmask2: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 2.0 MB
medium 144 2½° 0.8 MB
fast 72 0.4 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 5.0 MB
medium 144 2½° 2.0 MB
fast 72 1.0 MB
countries: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 2.8 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.1 MB
fast 72 0.6 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 7.0 MB
medium 144 2½° 2.8 MB
fast 72 1.4 MB
etopo2v2: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 4.8 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.9 MB
fast 72 1.0 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Earth globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 16.8 MB
medium 144 2½° 6.7 MB
fast 72 3.4 MB



Luna:
Rotational period: 29.5 Earth
Diameter: 3,4726 km (0.272 Earth)
Flattening: 1/158.1
Axial Tilt: 6.68°
Mars:
Rotational period: 1.03 Earth
Diameter: 6,787 km (0.532 Earth)
Flattening: 1/192.8
Axial Tilt: 23.98°
Skin: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Luna globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 3.3 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.3 MB
fast 72 0.7 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Luna globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 12.1 MB
medium 144 2½° 4.8 MB
fast 72 2.4 MB
lola16: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Luna globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 4.7 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.9 MB
fast 72 0.9 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Luna globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 16.6 MB
medium 144 2½° 6.7 MB
fast 72 3.3 MB
Skin: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Mars globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 4.2 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.7 MB
fast 72 0.8 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Mars globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 14.7 MB
medium 144 2½° 5.9 MB
fast 72 2.9 MB



Jupiter:
Rotational period: 0.41 Earth
Diameter: 142,800 km (11.209 Earth)
Flattening: 1/15.43
Axial Tilt: 3.08°
Saturn:
Rotational period: 0.44 Earth
Diameter: 120,000 km (9.44 Earth)
Flattening: 1/9.292
Axial Tilt: 26.73°
Skin: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Jupiter globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 3.9 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.5 MB
fast 72 0.8 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Jupiter globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 12.6 MB
medium 144 2½° 5.0 MB
fast 72 2.5 MB
Skin: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Saturn globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 2.7 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.1 MB
fast 72 0.5 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Saturn globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 8.5 MB
medium 144 2½° 3.4 MB
fast 72 1.7 MB



Uranus:
Rotational period: -0.72 Earth
Diameter: 51,118 km (4.007 Earth)
Flattening: 1/33.33
Axial Tilt: 97.92°
Neptune:
Rotational period: 0.67 Earth
Diameter: 49,528 km (3.883 Earth)
Flattening: 1/38.61
Axial Tilt: 28.8°
Pluto:
Rotational period: -6.39 Earth
Diameter: 2,374 km (0.186 Earth)
Axial Tilt: 57.47°
Skin: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Uranus globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 1.6 MB
medium 144 2½° 0.6 MB
fast 72 0.3 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Uranus globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 5.0 MB
medium 144 2½° 2.0 MB
fast 72 1.0 MB
Skin: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Neptune globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 2.8 MB
medium 144 2½° 1.1 MB
fast 72 0.6 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Neptune globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 8.9 MB
medium 144 2½° 3.6 MB
fast 72 1.8 MB
Skin: Data and Notes

128²
First frame of rotating Pluto globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 2.3 MB
medium 144 2½° 0.9 MB
fast 72 0.5 MB

256²
First frame of rotating Pluto globe
 Speed   #Frames   Step   Size 
slow 360 6.4 MB
medium 144 2½° 2.6 MB
fast 72 1.3 MB