Le laser rencontre l'éclair
Le Jeudi 18 Août, le ciel au-dessus du Allgaü Public Observatory dans le sud-ouest de la Bavière était incroyable, le ciel était illuminé par deux très différents phénomènes: l'un étant l'exemple de la technologie avancée et l'autre démontrant la dramatique puissance de la nature.
Lorsque l'ESO testait le nouveau Wendelstein Laser Guide Star en tirant un puissant laser dans l'atmosphère, l'un des intenses orages d'été de la région s'approchait, une démonstration de pourquoi les télescopes de l'ESO sont au Chili et non en Allemagne. Les lourds nuages gris lançait des éclairs tandis que Martin Kornmesser, un artiste visuel pour le département communautaire de l'ESO, a pris des photographies timelapse du test pour l'ESOcast 34. Avec un timing purement dû au hasard cette photo a été prise juste quand l'éclair illuminait le ciel, résultant dans une image spectaculaire que l'on pourrait croire tiré d'un film de science-fiction. Toutefois l'orage était encore loin de l'observatoire, mais on a l'impression que l'éclair se mêle au laser dans le ciel.
Les Laser Guide Star sont des étoiles artificielles créée jusqu'à 90 kilomètres dans l'atmosphère terrestre en utilisant un laser. Les données issues de cette étoile artificielle peuvent être utilisées pour corriger l'effet flou de l'atmosphère durant les observations astronomiques, une technique connue sous le nom d'optique adaptative. Le Wendelstein Laser Guide Star est un nouveau design, combinant le laser avec le petit télescope utilisé pour le lancer en un seul rayon, qui peut être placé sur des télescopes plus grands.
Le laser dans cette photo est puissant, un rayon de 20 watts, mais la puissance dans l'éclair peut aller jusqu'à un trillion (un million de million) watts, pour juste une fraction de seconde! Peu après que cette photo fut prise, l'orage a atteint l'observatoire, forçant à arrêter les observations pour la nuit. Même si on possède la technologie avancée pour créé des Laser Guide Stars, on est encore sujet aux forces de la nature, surtout la météo!
Liens:
- Lire plus à propos du Wendelstein Laser Guide Star de l'ESO.
ESO/M. Kornmesser
À propos de l'image
| Identification: | potw1136a |
| Langage: | fr-be |
| Type: | Photographique |
| Date de publication: | 5 septembre 2011 10:15 |
| Taille: | 4134 x 2567 px |
À propos de l'objet
| Nom: | Allgäu Public Observatory |
| Type: | Unspecified : Sky Phenomenon : Light Phenomenon : Lightning Unspecified : Technology : Observatory |
Mounted Image
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