SET THE yon TO 20.000 see here Alex how to remove it, your camera can't be set down 34 mm .. or you have to change the values, and regarding the darknes above, it is not the sphere it is the poser light, that come never from the south while viewing in preview mode... if you switch to the point light your sphere will be lighted 100% ( beside the south that is never lighted up and have nothing to do with sphere mapping)

BB.. you still not happy, I am as well, why I should see it from the outside if I see it inside as well and have set up ... where in one program you can view the environment from outside ? it should stay on one place  and not moving with beside only the camera so the light move with and is correct to the mapped environment..  the sphere was mapped correct and the Reverse Group Normals was set back .. I guess you know about that... I am going to make final scene and upload it... so they can use it without to touch anything..

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"Surrender to what it is - Let go of what was - Have faith in what will be "