Digital Globes - from Virtual to Real

Technological development at the end of the 20 Century opened a new gate for globes. In addition to the traditional analogue physical globes their digital counterparts evolved. Both globe representations are based on a threedimensional model of the real world. Because of increasing availability of global data visualization on a global level gains more significance. Therefore many software developers use the globe as an "interface" to large-scale data. The visualization of global data however is enormously dependent on the technological development both, on the software as on the hardware side. Triggered by the recent years progress in this area the realization of all categories of digital globes are within reach. So far some have only been theoretical.