Laser light amongst the Magellanic Clouds

A solitary laser guide star from ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) seems to divide the two Magellanic Clouds in this captivating image.

The laser shining from the VLT is a key component of the adaptive optics system which allows astronomers to vastly reduce the atmospheric distortion present at even the best sites in the world for astronomy, including Paranal in Chile, the home of the VLT.

Credit:

H. Stockebrand/ESO

Over de afbeelding

Id:img-8161-cc
Type:Fotografisch
Publicatiedatum:2 september 2016 13:19
Grootte:5184 x 3456 px

Over het object

Naam:Large Magellanic Cloud, Laser Guide Star, Small Magellanic Cloud, VLT Unit Telescopes
Type:Unspecified : Technology : Observatory
Categorie:Paranal

Afbeeldingstypen

Grote JPEG
7,3 MB

Inzoomen


Achtergrond

1024x768
319,6 KB
1280x1024
521,2 KB
1600x1200
758,8 KB
1920x1200
915,5 KB
2048x1536
1,2 MB