CaNaPy laser

This wide-field image shows the CaNaPy laser being tested on-sky at the Allgäuer VolksSternwarte Ottobeuren observatory in Germany. The laser, based on ESO-patented technology, excites sodium atoms in the upper atmosphere, creating an artificial source that can be used to monitor and correct atmospheric turbulence.

This laser will be eventually installed at the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Optical Ground Station in Tenerife, Spain, as part of a collaboration between ESO and ESA to use adaptive optics for astronomical and satellite communication purposes.