CWL

Adaptive Optics

One of the four 8-meter VLT telescopes (Very Large Telescope) located in the European Southern Observatory (ESO) site on Cerro Paranal is photographed under starry sky of Atacama Desert in Chile. Strong laser of Adaptive Optics system is beamed to the sky from the telescope. Our galactic neighbors, the Magellanic Clouds, highlight the image.

As explained by the European Southern Observatory “one of the major difficulties of astronomers is the Earth’s atmosphere, which makes celestial objects appear blurry when observed by ground-based telescopes. To counteract this, astronomers use a technique called adaptive optics, in which computer-controlled deformable mirrors are adjusted hundreds of times per second to correct for the distortion of the atmosphere.

Astronomers beam a powerful yellow laser into the sky from the observing telescope. The beam creates a glowing spot — an artificial star — in the Earth’s atmosphere by exciting a layer of sodium atoms at an altitude of 90 km. This Laser Guide Star is part of the VLT’s adaptive optics system.

The light coming back from the artificial star is used as a reference to control the deformable mirrors and remove the effects of atmospheric distortions, producing astronomical images almost as sharp as if the telescope were in space.” — TWAN Christoph Malin

VLT Survey Telescope: The Largest Telescope in The World Designed for Visible Light Sky Surveys

The Gegenschein Over Chile

Is the night sky darkest in the direction opposite the Sun? No. In fact, a rarely discernable faint glow known as the gegenschein (German for “counter glow”) can be seen 180 degrees around from the Sun in an extremely dark sky. The gegenschein is sunlight back-scattered off small interplanetary dust particles.

Image Credit & Copyright: Yuri Beletsky (ESO)

These dust particles are millimeter sized splinters from asteroids and orbit in the ecliptic plane of the planets. Pictured above from 2008 October is one of the more spectacular pictures of the gegenschein yet taken. Here a deep exposure of an extremely dark sky over Paranal Observatory in Chile shows the gegenschein so clearly that even a surrounding glow is visible.

In the foreground are several of the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescopes, while notable background objects include the Andromeda galaxy toward the lower left and the Pleiades star cluster just above the horizon. The gegenschein is distinguished from zodiacal light near the Sun by the high angle of reflection. During the day, a phenomenon similar to the gegenschein called the glory can be seen in reflecting air or clouds opposite the Sun from an airplane.

Adaptive Optics

One of the four 8-meter VLT telescopes (Very Large Telescope) located in the European Southern Observatory (ESO) site on Cerro Paranal is photographed under starry sky of Atacama Desert in Chile. Strong laser of Adaptive Optics system is beamed to the sky from the telescope.

Yepun’s Laser and the Magellanic Clouds

This spectacular image shows Yepun, the fourth 8.2-metre Unit Telescope of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) facility, launching a powerful yellow laser beam into the sky.

The beam creates a glowing spot — an artificial star — in the Earth’s atmosphere by exciting a layer of sodium atoms at an altitude of 90 km. This Laser Guide Star (LGS) is part of the VLT’s adaptive optics system.

The light coming back from the artificial star is used as a reference to control the deformable mirrors and remove the effects of atmospheric distortions, producing astronomical images almost as sharp as if the telescope were in space.

Sky in Motion above the VLT

by Stephane Guisard

A dark starry night begins in Chile as seen above Cerro Paranal observatory; one of the world’s best sites for astronomical observations and the location for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) array.

Stellar Bridge Above the VLT

Copyright: Yuri Beletsky

Omega M17

Smoky Nebula’s Bright Pink Heart Shines in New Photo

The spectacular pink and red core of a lively nebula takes center stage in a new photo that exposes the stellar nursery’s eye-catching clouds of gas, dust and newborn stars.

The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), at the Paranal Observatory in Chile, captured the new image of the Omega Nebula. The portrait is one of the sharpest ever taken of this object from a ground-based observatory, according to ESO officials.

This stellar breeding ground lies approximately 6,500 light-years away from Earth, in the direction of the constellation of Sagittarius (The Archer). The Omega nebula is a popular target of study for astronomers because it is one of the youngest and most active stellar nurseries for massive stars inside the Milky Way galaxy.

Comet Lovejoy & The Laser

Comet Lovejoy is seen passing behind the VLT-Laser Guide Star as a waning Crescent Moon enjoys a spotlight in this image.

Copyright: Gabriel Brammer

Shooting at the Galactic Center

The paranal Very Large Telescope (VLT) is seen here under the Milky Way band, Chile, South America at night as it shoots its LGSF laser into the Galatic Center of the Milky Way studying the stars and helping in understanding optical astronomy for the ESO observatory and general study of the Cosmos.

Copyright: Gerhard Huedepohl

ESO’s VLT Laser Beam

A glowing laser shines forth from the European Southern Observatory’s VLT (Very Large Telescope), creating an artificial star 90 km above the surface of the Earth, a device used to fine-tune the telescope’s optics.

Credit: ESO/G. Hüdepohl

Milky Way Bridge over the VLTs

Copyright: Yuri Beletsky

Laser Strike at the Galactic Center

Astronomers at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) site in Chile are trying to measure the distortions of Earth’s ever changing atmosphere. Constant imaging of high-altitude atoms excited by the laser — which appear like an artificial star — allow astronomers to instantly measure atmospheric blurring.

Credit: Yuri Beletsky (ESO)

Laser Strike at the Galactic Center

Astronomers at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) site in Chile are trying to measure the distortions of Earth’s ever changing atmosphere. Constant imaging of high-altitude atoms excited by the laser — which appear like an artificial star — allow astronomers to instantly measure atmospheric blurring.

Credit: Yuri Beletsky (ESO)