That looks like a big lens

Came across this one today:

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Look at that lens barrel peeking out of the roof(!)

Well actually while I was taking that picture (I came from that side first) I wasn't actually sure that it was a lens, but I somehow assumed, as I couldn't believe it would be allowed to build up that big cannons in the city. :wink:

This is the front

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and the top

It turned out to be an observatory, as expected. The strange thing is that it's the first one I saw that has a "lens" that was fixed in direction, but has some funny rail mechanism instead. But what for? AF? Zoooom!? 

will have to look if they have a website that explains...

 

Hah. Found it. Wow. It's movable:

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According to their website/wikipedia, it is the world's largest lens telescope, that means its design is actually based on real lenses! No mirror stuff!
Holy smokes!
It was built 1896, weighs 130 tons, has a focal length of 21 meters, and - important for those who want to attach a filter - the front element has a diameter of 68 centimeters. They don't tell if it's threaded, though. :wink:
The magnification is 210x.

Oh, and those rails are merely to move the roof, as that telescope was too big to completely put it into a building.

 

Thanks for all the comments :biggrin:
No, I guess VR is not needed. The mount looked stable and I guess it's not hand holdable.

 

Rather the face of something (someone?) living on the cleaning personel's face. (210x magnification!)