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Chunk of original Star Wars Death Star goes for sale on eBay

That's no moon.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
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deathstarset

This set image from filming shows the Death Star panels used for A New Hope.

FTP Edelman

You've got your all black mobile life support system. You have Stormtroopers at your command. Now you just need a suitable spaceship. Get started on your very own Death Star by picking up a prop piece of the original ship from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope on eBay.

The story of the panel's survival is almost as interesting as the movie's plot. It and other pieces were used to shoot effects outside the studio for the famed assault-on-the-Death-Star scene. 

Most of the pieces ended up in a landfill, but an anonymous former ILM employee grabbed this particular panel and kept it safe for decades. 

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You'll need a lot more of these to build the full ship.

Hollywood Memorabilia

The panel measures nearly 24 inches (61 centimeters) long and "every inch of the piece has complex modeling used to create the raised elevations and valleys of the Death Star."

The eBay auction from Hollywood Memorabilia starts on Thursday, timed to coincide with the weekend release of the Han Solo origin movie Solo: A Star Wars Story. The Death Star chunk is expected to bring six figures in US dollars. 

Death Star shows up in unusual places (pictures)

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