World Record for Large Format Photography

[Paul Metcalf]

I think this qualifies as ULF. Possibly a new world record for large format photography. Wonder what film they'll use?

NASA Hopes to Build 'Giant Pinhole Camera' Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland) 10/03/04 author: John von Radowitz

Scientists hope to build a giant "pinhole camera" in space to spot planets orbiting distant stars.

The New Worlds Imager would be the size of a football field with a 30ft wide hole in the centre.

Essentially it would work in the same way as a simple camera made from a box with a pinhole in one end.

Light entering the pinhole forms an image on photographic film at the far end of the box.

A sharp image is possible because the pinhole prevents interference by scattered rays of light.

In the same way the New World Imager would act as a "starshade", cutting out scattered light so that planets can become visible.

A spacecraft equipped with a telescope would trail tens of thousands of miles behind the starshade to collect and process the light.

The system, under investigation by the US space agency Nasa, could theoretically detect planets as small as the Earth's Moon and search for indicators of life such as methane, water, oxygen and ozone.

Professor Webster Cash, from the University of Colorado at Boulder, who put forward the proposal, said: "In its most advanced form, the New Worlds Imager would be able to capture actual pictures of planets as far away as 100 light-years, showing oceans, continents, polar caps and cloud banks.

"To me, one of the most interesting challenges in space astronomy today is the detection of exo-solar planets.

"We have created an affordable concept with very practical technology that would allow us to conduct planet imaging in visible and other wavelengths of light."

The idea was one of 12 suggestions selected for funding by the Nasa Institute for Advanced Concepts.

Others included proposals for a lunar space elevator, super-conducting magnet technology for astronaut radiation protection, and a magnetised beam plasma propulsion system.

[Pete Watkins]

And when they've done this they might consider doing somthing useful. Pete

[Kevin M Bourque]

Okay, I’ll bite….

Pete, please tell me that your response was tongue in cheek. Doesn’t the prospect of imaging other planets interest you at all? Aren’t you the slightest bit curious about what’s out there?

I saw this a few days ago and thought it was an exciting idea.

[Neal Shields]

Is my math failing me today. I would have thought for a focal lingth of 300' the "pin hole" would be about 1.5' not 30???

[Neal Shields]

Sorry it is my reading not my math. The focal lingth is thousands of miles. I get it now

[David Luttmann]

Here's a chance for Ilford to make a comeback. All it would take is a couple of sheets of that ULF film and they'd be in the black for the next decade!

[Jorge Gasteazoro]

Hmmm, I know I dont want to be the poor SOB that is going to load that holder...

I can see the NASA scientist saying: "hey look, we have discovered a new world!.....nope sh!t, just a dust speck....."

[Alex Hawley]

Nahh Jorge, I think they will use a matrix of a bizillion 8x10 holders, all mounted on hinges so they swing free for loading/unloading. After all, 8x10 holders are in production - cheaper, faster, better is the phrase NASA coined! With the film holder matrix, there will be a bizillion sheets to load and a bizillion dark slides to pull. And a bizillion sheets of film to keep in order to reconstruct the image. Sounds like a typical NASA project.

[Dan Ingram]

Holders, schmolders. Does it take a roll back?

[domenico Foschi]

Why pinhole? Somebody should inform Dagor 77 and sell NASA one of his glasses....