Monsters Inc.

[John]

I came across a short movie on youtube of an unboxing of a number of Explore Scientific eyepieces by the Lowell Observatory. Having recently visited the observatory I did notice some ES stuff around. I hope the observatory gets it at a good price or even as a donation from ES !

Anyway, a couple of the boxes contained one of the 30mm 100 degree 3 inch format eyepieces and one of ES's 3 inch format diagonals. I've seen the eyepiece at a couple of shows but I've never seen it in a 3 inch diagonal before. This still from the movie really brings home the size of 3 inch format kit

[JamesF]

Not so much an eyepiece as a headpiece...

James

[Geoff Barnes]

6 hours ago, JamesF said:

Not so much an eyepiece as a headpiece...

James

Indeed, you'd need eyes like Marty Feldman to look through one of those!

Edited November 11, 2019 by Geoff Barnes

[johninderby]

Wonder how it compares to a Siebert 4.3” observatory eyepiece?

[Rob]

Wow!.. that's some eyepiece. Love to take a look through that. Can Only imagine the 'Space walk' feel from a 100 degree EP!.

[MarsG76]

10 hours ago, John said:

I came across a short movie on youtube of an unboxing of a number of Explore Scientific eyepieces by the Lowell Observatory. Having recently visited the observatory I did notice some ES stuff around. I hope the observatory gets it at a good price or even as a donation from ES !

Anyway, a couple of the boxes contained one of the 30mm 100 degree 3 inch format eyepieces and one of ES's 3 inch format diagonals. I've seen the eyepiece at a couple of shows but I've never seen it in a 3 inch diagonal before. This still from the movie really brings home the size of 3 inch format kit

WHAT!!!!???? That looks like something I'd do pullovers with at the gym and get a crazy anterior delts, upper chest and front lat pumps...

 

[John]

The observatory is currently setting up a major public outreach facility. We saw the impressive observation deck that they have built when we were there in September. The 3 inch ES eyepiece and diagonal are to be used in a TEC 140mm apo refractor for widefield observing. I did wonder if they were going to use this massive kit on the Alvan Clark 24 inch refractor but apparently not.

This new observing facility opened in October. We missed out by a month

 

[Timebandit]

14 hours ago, John said:

I came across a short movie on youtube of an unboxing of a number of Explore Scientific eyepieces by the Lowell Observatory. Having recently visited the observatory I did notice some ES stuff around. I hope the observatory gets it at a good price or even as a donation from ES !

Anyway, a couple of the boxes contained one of the 30mm 100 degree 3 inch format eyepieces and one of ES's 3 inch format diagonals. I've seen the eyepiece at a couple of shows but I've never seen it in a 3 inch diagonal before. This still from the movie really brings home the size of 3 inch format kit

 

That would be an impressive eyepiece and diagonal in my eyepiece case or should that be cases.

Christmas is on the way, that would be a great present from Santa😀

Dare I ask the price ???😵

 

 

 

[Highburymark]

Think it was best part of £1k when it came out a few years ago, if I remember correctly. Still less than the new TV Apollo 11 eyepiece...

[Louis D]

14 hours ago, johninderby said:

Wonder how it compares to a Siebert 4.3” observatory eyepiece?

 Well, the 30mm ES-100 only has a 52.2mm field stop, so not that much bigger than a 41mm Panoptic's 46mm field stop, and far less than the 3" format maximum of about 74mm.  I think the Sieberts have much wider true fields of view, though narrower apparent fields of view.  I have no idea how well corrected they are center to edge.

By the way, there's a refurbished 30mm ES-100 on ebay for $399.  However, there have been reports that these refurbs have been a total crapshoot as far as quality goes.

Edited November 11, 2019 by Louis D

[John]

6 hours ago, Timebandit said:

 

That would be an impressive eyepiece and diagonal in my eyepiece case or should that be cases.

Christmas is on the way, that would be a great present from Santa😀

Dare I ask the price ???😵

 

 

 

I hope you have been a good boy this year

FLO list the 30mm / 100 ES at £860 and the 3 inch ES diagonal is $400 currently in the USA but I can't find it listed in the UK currently.

So still less expensive than the TV Apollo 11.

 

[Timebandit]

 

35 minutes ago, John said:

I hope you have been a good boy this year

FLO list the 30mm / 100 ES at £860 and the 3 inch ES diagonal is $400 currently in the USA but I can't find it listed in the UK currently.

So still less expensive than the TV Apollo 11.

 

 

 

Yes I have been a good boy this year 😇 

But I don't think I have been good enough to get one on those big boys from Santa🎅

 

 

 

[johninderby]

3” Diagonal

https://www.telescopehouse.com/explore-scientific-star-diagonal-76-2mm-3.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9Kzkxffi5QIVBZzVCh2CbwYlEAQYBCABEgKKQPD_BwE

https://www.telescopehouse.com/eyepieces/explore-scientific-eyepieces/explore-scientific-100-eyepieces/explore-scientific-100a-argon-purged-eyepiece-30mm-2.html

[McNewt]

Jeez.  It is big.   

I wonder how you look through such a big eyepiece.  I imagine you grab hold of it with both of your hands and put your entire face up against the eye lens.

 

I believe this is the video https://youtu.be/b-N2ksV32pI .

[Alien 13]

Bit dissapointed that that lens has such a tiny hole to look through.....its smaller than my 32mm plossl.

Alan

Edited November 11, 2019 by Alien 13

[John]

The relationship between the diameter of the eye lens and the size of the apparent field of view is quite complex eg: my Delos eyepieces have a 72 degree apparent field but their eye lenses are about 50% larger in diameter than my Ethos eyepieces with their 100 degree fields. I believe that the diameter of the eye lens is more connected with the eye relief of the eyepiece than it's field of view.

Amongst the largest eye lenses out there belong to the ES 92 degree eyepieces, which also have long eye relief, considering their very large apparent fields.