Anyone in for a 80 kg 12" SCT for 33500 USD?

[gorann]

Just stumbled on this. The German seller has now removed it from ebay since he apparently did not get what he asked for. Apparently it is the scope that followed NASA space flights up through the clouds.

https://petapixel.com/2015/04/27/massive-2540mm-f8-nasa-lens-shows-up-on-ebay/

Edited August 8, 2022 by gorann

[tomato]

It would go on the Mesu (just) and it would be nice to own a bit of Spaceflight history, but I would have to sell all of my set up and then some to fund it.

[vlaiv]

I think that point of that scope is shown in this image:

Yep, that is 8.5cm rear opening.

I would not be surprised that scope has imaging circle suitable for medium size sensor (around 80mm diagonal).

Now, that is fast system!

[Paul M]

Looks nice but I'm holding out for a Baker-Nunn 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_camera#Baker–Nunn:~:text=A dozen f/0.75 Baker-Nunn cameras with 20-inch apertures – each weighing 3.5 tons including a multiple axis mount

20 in @ f 0.75 and 3.5 tons, but that includes a mount.  But hold on, f ratio below 1... what does that mean optically? Just ultra fast? 

[gorann]

46 minutes ago, Paul M said:

Looks nice but I'm holding out for a Baker-Nunn 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_camera#Baker–Nunn:~:text=A dozen f/0.75 Baker-Nunn cameras with 20-inch apertures – each weighing 3.5 tons including a multiple axis mount

20 in @ f 0.75 and 3.5 tons, but that includes a mount.  But hold on, f ratio below 1... what does that mean optically? Just ultra fast? 

Hopefully you can talk Astrodon or Baader to make an ultra-ultra fast filter set for your scope🤣

[gorann]

1 hour ago, vlaiv said:

I think that point of that scope is shown in this image:

Yep, that is 8.5cm rear opening.

I would not be surprised that scope has imaging circle suitable for medium size sensor (around 80mm diagonal).

Now, that is fast system!

Not even that Hasselblad camera they keep showing next to the scope would be up to the task. As far as I can tell their biggest sensor is 43.8 × 32.9 mm. No 60 x 60 any more.

Edited August 7, 2022 by gorann

[vlaiv]

21 minutes ago, gorann said:

Not even that Hasselblad camera they keep showing next to the scope would be up to the task. As far as I can tell their biggest sensor is 43.8 × 32.9 mm. No 60 x 60 any more.

But we are not going to use simple DSLR style camera on that beast, are we?

https://www.qhyccd.com/qhy6060/

A bit expensive, but let's not be picky

QHY6060 BSI Grade 0    Contact QHYCCD
QHY6060 BSI Grade 1    USD125000
QHY6060 BSI Grade 2   USD89000

If one has $33000 - what is another $90000 for Grade 2 sensor

 

[Paul M]

In the linked image in the above article it looks like a cine camera on the back of it. So maybe some large format cine film was used?

Edited August 7, 2022 by Paul M

[DaveL59]

22 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

But we are not going to use simple DSLR style camera on that beast, are we?

https://www.qhyccd.com/qhy6060/

A bit expensive, but let's not be picky

QHY6060 BSI Grade 0    Contact QHYCCD
QHY6060 BSI Grade 1    USD125000
QHY6060 BSI Grade 2   USD89000

If one has $33000 - what is another $90000 for Grade 2 sensor

 

well I guess if we organised a forum group purchase then had it all shipped over to Olly to install at his astro site...

[ollypenrice]

20 hours ago, DaveL59 said:

well I guess if we organised a forum group purchase then had it all shipped over to Olly to install at his astro site...

No! There are a few monster one-off scopes in this region and what they all have in common is that they never work!

🤣lly

[DaveL59]

2 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

No! There are a few monster one-off scopes in this region and what they all have in common is that they never work!

🤣lly

awww I thought you'd be up for a challenge there Olly 😉  

[ollypenrice]

1 hour ago, DaveL59 said:

awww I thought you'd be up for a challenge there Olly 😉  

No astrophotographer needs any new challenges, ever!

Olly

[Louis D]

What about designing a large format focal reducer for it to bring the focal ratio and focal length down along with shrinking the image circle to a more manageable size?

[Louis D]

To really justify the asking price, the seller needs proper provenance papers showing it was actually used to film the original NASA missions of the '60s and '70s and the Challenger explosion as alluded to in the description.  At that point, it has serious collector value as a witness to history.  Otherwise, it may just be a surplussed spare that was never used.

[wimvb]

On 07/08/2022 at 22:52, gorann said:

Not even that Hasselblad camera they keep showing next to the scope would be up to the task. As far as I can tell their biggest sensor is 43.8 × 32.9 mm. No 60 x 60 any more.

Hasselblads (at least the classic 500 model with 60x60 size) were never good for AP anyway, they didn't have a shutter. That was always built into the lens.