New laser-sharp vision for Paranal’s facilities!
In this image, you see the first of nine new lasers that are being built for our Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), currently under construction, and Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), both located at Paranal in #Chile
The laser projection systems are being built in the Netherlands, and the first one has now successfully passed a review by our engineers
But why do telescopes need lasers? They excite sodium atoms high up in the atmosphere, creating artificial "stars". By monitoring these "stars" we can measure and correct atmospheric turbulence in real time with a fast deformable mirror, obtaining very sharp images!
Read more: https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2503a/
ESO/TNO/Demcon/Fred Kamphues