The VLT's Laser Guide Star and star trails

A laser beam launched from VLT´s 8.2-metre Yepun telescope crosses the majestic southern sky and creates an artificial star at 90 km altitude in the high Earth´s mesosphere. The Laser Guide Star (LGS) is part of the VLT´s Adaptive Optics system and it is used as reference to correct images from the blurring effect of the atmosphere. The long bright stripes are star trails and each one marks the path of a single star across the dark night sky. By leaving the camera's shutter open for a long period of time, the movement of the stars, imperceptible to the naked eye, is revealed.

The picture was taken by Gabriel Brammer, one of the ESO Photo Ambassadors.