The VLT's Laser Guide Star and star trails

Below the trails left by the stars in a dark and clear night, a laser beam shoots out of Yepun, the fourth Unit Telescope of Europe’s flagship observatory, ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). This beam is used to create an artificial star above Paranal to assist the adaptive optics instruments on the VLT.

Adaptive optics is a technique that allows astronomers to overcome the blurring effect of the atmosphere and obtain images almost as sharp as would be possible if the whole telescope were placed in space, above Earth's atmosphere.

Credit:

Dave Jones/ESO

About the Image

Id:dave-jones-10
Type:Photographic
Release date:1 August 2013, 17:05
Size:3264 x 4928 px

About the Object

Name:Cerro Paranal, Laser Guide Star, Milky Way, Star Trails, Very Large Telescope
Type:Solar System : Sky Phenomenon : Night Sky : Milky Way
Milky Way
Unspecified : Sky Phenomenon : Night Sky : Trail : Star
Unspecified : Technology : Observatory : Telescope
Category:Paranal
Stars

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