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Sodium Laser Launching
Caption:
The Sodium laser launching from the side of the Lick Observatory's 120-foot Shane Telescope. This is a 10-minute time exposed image. Note the star trails. The laser is used to create an artificial guide star for the adaptive optics (AO) system using excitation of the sodium layer at an altitude of approximately 90 km. It is mounted on the side of the telescope.
This research was conducted at the Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO) at the University of California Santa Cruz, a National Science Foundation-supported Science and Technology Center. The center researches AO in the fields of vision science and astronomy to remove the effects of image blurring through turbulent media. Applications include astronomical telescopes, laser guide stars, wavefront sensing, MEMS technology, and retinal imaging.
(Preview Only)
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| Credit: |
Credit Center for Adaptive Optics, UCSC |
| Decade of Image: |
2000 - 2009 |
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Categories:
STC's
ASTRONOMY / Optical
Formats Available:
No additional formats available.
Restrictions:
No additional restrictions--beyond NSF's general restrictions--have been placed on this image. For a list of general restrictions that apply to this and all images in the NSF Image Library, see the section "Conditions".
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