Bright green laser lines shoot across night sky in Hawaii.

[Portre]

Rapid burst of lasers fired toward Earth by a NASA spacecraft.

Who were they shooting at?

[+and-then]

I guess it's possible they were testing a new version of LiDAR.

[+Grim Reaper 6]

1 hour ago, and-then said:

I guess it's possible they were testing a new version of LiDAR.

No, it's more likely they were testing Space Based Lazers meant to be used a weapons!

[Waspie_Dwarf]

14 hours ago, Portre said:

Rapid burst of lasers fired toward Earth by a NASA spacecraft.

Who were they shooting at?

The article actually explains what the laser is for:

Quote

ICESat-2 tracks changes in the cryosphere — the part of Earth covered by solid precipitation including snow, sea ice, lake and river ice, icebergs, glaciers, ice sheets, ice shelves and permafrost — and cloud cover caused by human-driven climate change. To do this, the satellite uses an altimeter (a gadget that measures altitude) to fire bright lasers toward Earth's surface, then measures how long it takes for those lasers to bounce back to the satellite's dish.

 

[Waspie_Dwarf]

5 hours ago, and-then said:

I guess it's possible they were testing a new version of LiDAR.

Not that new, ICESat-2 has been in orbit since 2018.

4 hours ago, Grim Reaper 6 said:

No, it's more likely they were testing Space Based Lazers meant to be used a weapons!

I am going to put my pedants hat on now. I realise thtr Americans like to use a Z in words that the British use an S in (civilization and civilisation for example), but the S in Laser can not be substituted for a Z. This because laser is not a word, it is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. 

[the13bats]

Im just delighted no one cried "aliens".

[+Grim Reaper 6]

1 hour ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

Not that new, ICESat-2 has been in orbit since 2018.

I am going to put my pedants hat on now. I realise thtr Americans like to use a Z in words that the British use an S in (civilization and civilisation for example), but the S in Laser can not be substituted for a Z. This because laser is not a word, it is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. 

Thanks for the dissertation and yes, I certainly spelled the word incorrectly. Sincerely thank you for the constructive criticism and the correction thanks to you I now know what that bloody acronym stands for now!!!

Oh, and by the way, I didn't mean to say laser, I mean to say Maser (Microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation)

[+Grim Reaper 6]

17 minutes ago, the13bats said:

Im just delighted no one cried "aliens".

Not Yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

[BadChadB33]

Typical remark from The Architect in the Matrix.

[Skulduggery]

I thought they've been saying it was from a Chinese satellite unless I am mistaken.

[Skulduggery]

One of many articles. Lasers from Chinese satellites. https://kauainownews.com/2023/02/11/eerie-green-laser-light-show-over-big-island-volcano-likely-a-chinese-satellite/

[Tom1200]

On 2/8/2023 at 7:27 AM, Waspie_Dwarf said:

... laser is not a word, it is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. 

When I were a lad our school's physics teacher clearly didn't know that.  A whole generation of south-Notts yobs still think it means Light And Sound Emitting Radiation.  I think he got most of his knowledge from Star Wars.

It was cool when we bashed the chalkboard dusters to illuminate the beams' ruby paths.  We probably actually learned quite a lot about diffraction 'n' stuff, even if we did have to add the sound effects ourselves.  Pee-ow!

Edited February 14 by Tom1200
Pee-ow!

[Rolci]

So if it's just lasers from satellites then why are they not observable EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME, then it would be common knowledge and when they show up in Hawaii everyone knows what it is, cuz they're everywhere, right. Or do they only make measurements in Hawaii then?

[L.A.T.1961]