Four lasers fire into the atmosphere

At the isolated Very Large Telescope (VLT) at ESO's Paranal Observatory, the arid desert offers near perfect conditions for observations. However, the atmosphere still distorts light from distant objects, and astronomers often use 'reference stars' with known properties to compare and correct images. But if a suitable star isn't available, the VLT now has a perfect solution - simulate one! The new system of four lasers allows astronomers to create artificial reference stars to improve their results.

Credit:

ESO/F. Kamphues

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Id:fk_vlt_dome_laser02
Publicatiedatum:27 april 2016 11:00
Gerelateerde berichten:eso1613
Gerelateerde mededelingen:ann16060
Duur:02 s
Frame rate:30 fps

Over het object

Naam:Laser Guide Star, Very Large Telescope
Type:Unspecified : Technology : Observatory
Categorie:Paranal

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