Is this the sexiest piece of astronomical equipment you’ve ever seen? The Porter Telescope is a limited edition bronze sculpture that also happens to be a very smart piece of engineering. Based on an original design from the 1920s by Richard Porter, it acts as a garden sundial by day and a reflecting telescope by, well, whenever you like (but night is probably best for stargazing). The optics have been redesigned 21st style to deliver the best possible performance.
Naturally, if you’re going for something so serious, you’ll need a marble pedestal to stand it on. You aren’t going to dump this on any old garden table! This happily lives outdoors, too, and will either grow to a cool green like any bronze statue, or you can put in some effort to maintain the sleek brown look.
Cost? A stylish US$59,000. But there’s never been a better time to spend that sort of money. And if you’re happy to spend it, the shipping charges involved probably won’t scare you either. The official site has plenty more details, as well as a link to video on the fabrication and design process. Sexy, sexy geek stuff. [Porter Telescope via Luxist]
Julian Shull
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 12:51 AMThe inventor/designer’s name was Russell W. Porter, not Richard Porter. He was the father of amateur astronomy and designed the mount for the 200″ Hale Telescope on Mount Palomar.