Gemini South Observatory Gets Five New Laser Beams

Astronomers operating a large telescope in the Southern Hemisphere are delighted to announce that their instrument is about to become even more efficient at observing the night sky. This will happen when it receives a new constellation of sodium laser beams to help point its “eyes.”

The addition of the lasers will significantly improve the telescope's ability to take extra-sharp images of outer space, scientists say. The five laser beams will form a single, mega-laser, that will be able to better define the targets of observations the instrument receives.

The constellation will be installed on the Gemini South Observatory, which is based in Chile. Because of its constant, dry weather conditions, the country hosts a large number of astronomical outpost, including those operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

According to Gemini experts, the beams will set a strong foundation for the next-generation adaptive optics system. Those who had a chance of seeing the new device in action say that it produces a thick, yellow beam of light, which it projects into the night sky.

Over the past few years, adaptive optics has witnessed a growth in popularity among observatory managers. What the technique does is filter out interferences that may be caused by Earth's atmosphere.

Flickering stars may be a source of inspiration for poets and bards, but they are a nightmare for astronomers. The phenomenon is caused by the multiple layers of air covering our planet.

Using adaptive optics, telescopes are capable of compensating for this flickering, essentially providing brand new image of superior quality for established telescopes, Space reports.

In other words, it's like constructing a new observatory without actually having to go through the trouble to do so, and at a fraction of the costs associated with such an endeavor. The way adaptive optics works is really quite simple.

In a nutshell, all it does is use its lasers to analyze a distant guide star via a computer, and then use that data to determine the level and type of interferences that the atmosphere is generating. Special software then removes these imperfections from the telescope's final output.

Additionally, the software also controls several hundreds of actuators placed under the mirrors telescope lenses are made of. These actuators bend and curve the surface of each individual piece in such a manner that any blur effects are canceled out.

“The Gemini team has been working very hard for a very long time to get to this point and when I saw those 5 stars shining on the sky through my viewer it gave me goose bumps,” explains Maxime Boccas.

The expert, who is the head of the Gemini Observatory’s Optical Systems Group, says that the new adaptive optics was turned on for the first time on January 22.

“This amazing picture illustrates the culmination of a laser development program that started about 10 years ago,” concludes Gemini Observatory senior laser engineer Céline d’Orgeville.