Telescope Archives

On 26 April 2016 an event at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile marked the brilliant first light for the four powerful lasers that form a crucial part of the adaptive optics systems on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. Attendees were treated to a spectacular display of cutting-edge laser technology against the majestic skies of Paranal. These are the most powerful laser guide stars ever used for astronomy and mark the first use of multiple laser guide stars at ESO. This spectacular image shows the four beams emerging from the new laser system on Unit Telescope 4 of the VLT.

Why do telescopes use laser guide stars?

November 9, 2021January 12, 2023 Physics

Laser guide stars are artificial stars created by shining a laser beam into the atmosphere. The laser beam ionizes the atoms in the atmosphere, creating a bright, artificial star that can be used as a reference point for the telescope’s adaptive optics system.