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Former astronaut auctions Zeiss lens from Apollo 15
Today in oddly specific artifacts of technology: the first telephoto lens used by an astronaut on the surface of the moon is currently on the auction block alongside a payload of other NASA memorabilia. The special 500mm Zeiss lens was an essential part of Commander David Scott's scientific equipment during the Apollo 15 mission to the Hadley rille. Scott's Hasselblad rig took nearly 300 photos during the 12-day mission and the camera's body alone sold for over $900,000 in 2014.
Vienna gallery to auction off alleged Apollo 15 camera used on the lunar surface
If you happen to be in Austria in March and have, oh, around $270,000 just lying around, you can get a memento from the Apollo 15 mission. To be precise, that amount might win you a 70-millimeter Hasselblad Electric Data Camera at a WestLicht Gallery auction in Vienna -- one that James Irwin supposedly used when he walked on the moon in 1971. While NASA hasn't confirmed its authenticity, gallery officials insist that the number 38 printed inside the camera is all the proof they need, as the images Irwin took were all labeled with the same number. According to CollectSpace, though, the camera's serial numbers are identical to a device sold at a New Hampshire auction in 2012. While a former NASA photographer was certain that that camera was part of an Apollo mission, it was never linked to Apollo 15 or to the eighth man to walk on the moon. So, even if 200 grand's chump change to you, it may be best to take the gallery's claim with a pinch of salt.
