Mount Graham

[Sakari]

It is now 9:45 PM, there are some low clouds, more of a haze really. ( only reason we can see this ) I live in Safford, Arizona. Mount Graham can be seen from our back yard, we are almost at the foothills.

Just thought I would post because it is a sight to see. A large green lazer going up as far as we can see. I understand it is used in the new binocular scope up there to help get rid of " twinkles " of stars. To reduce light.

Wish I new more about it, and wish I could get a picture, but not sure how to get my cameras flash to turn off.

Anyway, might be a dumb post, but I thought it was cool to see.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Sakari

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Just thought I would post because it is a sight to see. A large green lazer going up as far as we can see. I understand it is used in the new binocular scope up there to help get rid of " twinkles " of stars. To reduce light.

You are correct about the twinkles but I have not sure what you mean by "to reduce light". The entire point of a telescope is to collect as much light as possible.

The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) on Mount Graham uses adaptive optics. The secondary mirrors can be deformed under computer control. The laser is used as a "control" source of light. Star "twinkling" (astronomers call it scintillation) is caused by movement of the air. By observing the way that the atmosphere affects the laser computers can rapidly distort the secondary mirrors to counteract the atmospheric distortion.

The end result is that, at some wavelengths, the LBT has a better resolution than the Hubble Space Telescope.

Footnote

I don't usually correct spellings but I will make an exception in this case, as it is a point of science not a point of grammar. I know Americans like to use a "z" in words where we Brits use an "s", which is obviously fine, but in "laser" it is totally incorrect as laser is an acronym, not a word. It stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

[Sakari]

You are correct about the twinkles but I have not sure what you mean by "to reduce light". The entire point of a telescope is to collect as much light as possible.

The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) on Mount Graham uses adaptive optics. The secondary mirrors can be deformed under computer control. The laser is used as a "control" source of light. Star "twinkling" (astronomers call it scintillation) is caused by movement of the air. By observing the way that the atmosphere affects the laser computers can rapidly distort the secondary mirrors to counteract the atmospheric distortion.

The end result is that, at some wavelengths, the LBT has a better resolution than the Hubble Space Telescope.

Footnote

I don't usually correct spellings but I will make an exception in this case, as it is a point of science not a point of grammar. I know Americans like to use a "z" in words where we Brits use an "s", which is obviously fine, but in "laser" it is totally incorrect as laser is an acronym, not a word. It stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.

Thanks for that. I just did a quick google and may have read the twinkle part wrong. Can still see it, pretty bad ass.

P.S. I will never spell laser wrong again.

Found a picture, but it is a close up, not what we are seeing.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Sakari

[ChrLzs]

What's your camera? Maybe you can't turn the flash off, but usually there's a little button with a pic of lightning on it.. or it might be hidden in a menu, or more likely you might just have to change the 'scene mode'...

(If all else fails, stick a bit of black electrical tape over it - it probably won't catch fire... )

[Sakari]

What's your camera? Maybe you can't turn the flash off, but usually there's a little button with a pic of lightning on it.. or it might be hidden in a menu, or more likely you might just have to change the 'scene mode'...

(If all else fails, stick a bit of black electrical tape over it - it probably won't catch fire... )

It can be turned off. Just did not want to read instructions last night. I will see it again