This image was shot on October 3, 2009. It is made from hundreds of individual photographs and stitched together into a single seamless panoramic image.
360 Cities Blog put the entire image, in full resolution, online for everyone to see. It’s possible to zoom in to an incredible level of detail.
It was made using a digital SLR and a 200mm lens. The camera was fixed on a robotic device which turned the camera in precise increments, covering the entire sphere. These photos were then joined together on a computer. You can read about the whole process in great detail over here.