Four Lasers over Mauna Kea
Explanation:
Are lasers from giant telescopes being used to attack the Galactic center?
No.
Lasers shot
from telescopes are now commonly used to help increase
the accuracy of astronomical observations.
In some sky locations, Earth atmosphere-induced
fluctuations in starlight can indicate how the
air mass over a telescope is changing,
but many times no bright star exists in the
direction where atmospheric information is needed.
In these cases, astronomers create an
artificial star where they need it -- with a
laser.
Subsequent observations of the
artificial laser guide star can reveal information
so detailed about the blurring effects of the
Earth's atmosphere that much of this
blurring can be removed by rapidly flexing the mirror.
Such
adaptive optic techniques allow
high-resolution ground-based observations of
real stars,
planets, and
nebulae.
Pictured above, four telescopes on
Mauna Kea,
Hawaii,
USA are being used simultaneously
to study the center of our Galaxy and so all use a laser to create an artificial
star nearby.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
