At the Limit of Diffraction
Explanation:
Did you ever want to just look through the eyepiece of
a large telescope in space?
If you could, you would see a sharp view that was
diffraction limited.
Unaffected by atmospheric blurring that ultimately plagues earthbound
observers, the angular resolution of your diffraction limited view
would be determined only by the
wavelength of light and diameter of the telescope lens or mirror;
the larger the diameter, the sharper the image.
Still, in this working earth-based snapshot a new active
adaptive optics system (MagAO)
is being used to cancel out the atmospheric
blurring in a visual observation of famous double
star system Alpha Centauri.
Testing the system at the eyepiece
of the 6.5 meter diameter Magellan Clay Telescope at
Las Campanas Observatory,
astronomer Laird Close is enjoying a
historic diffraction
limited view (inset)
and the wide apparent separation of the close binary star system ...
without traveling to low earth orbit.
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.
