More testing, Mesu2/ODK14

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Correct for it.. fast. SX-LFAO or similar.

By the way, the pro's use a sodium Laser (well some do) as this will activate high altitude sodium atoms.

If you use a fast camera and a pulse lazer then you can look at the appropriate height by timing the camera and having a powerful pulsed lazer.

Star Wars anyone?

Derek

If everyone goes that way, wont amateur astronomers be adding to LP?

[rfdesigner]

If everyone goes that way, wont amateur astronomers be adding to LP?

Ah.. but it won't be "pollution"

[NickK]

English: This telescope is an important new component of the Four Laser Guide Star Facility, which will sharpen the already excellent vision of ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). Four powerful 20-watt lasers, fired to an altitude of 90 kilometres up in the atmosphere, will help the VLT correct the image distortion caused by turbulence in the air. The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) is developing the launch telescopes through which the laser beams will be fired. The first of these laser launch telescopes — known as the Optical Tube Assembly — is seen here in the cleanroom at TNO’s Van Leeuwenhoek Laboratory in Delft, the Netherlands, having recently held its Acceptance Review. A special anti-reflective coating gives the lens on the telescope a distinctive blue hue. The photograph was taken by Fred Kamphues, who appears on the left. He is project manager for the Optical Tube Assembly, and is also a new ESO Photo Ambassador. On the right is system engineer Rens Henselmans.

I think the NLers are already on the job.. (perhaps they're experts because of their bad seeing )

VLT's rather large AO 4x20W laser close up..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VLT%27s_Next-generation_Laser_Launch_Telescope.jpg

[ollypenrice]

If everyone goes that way, wont amateur astronomers be adding to LP?

A while back we would occasionally see a cloud measuring laser from the Observatoire de Haute Provence from our sites. It didn't cause any bother because it only lasted a matter of minutes. I haven't seen it in several years but I can't say I'd welcome a permanent adaptive optics one!

They are about 50Km due south of us but we could see the beam above the ring of hills whch protect us from stray light. It may be jealousy because their site isn't a patch on ours now that the light bulb has reached Aix En Provence and Marseille!

http://www.provence-corse.cnrs.fr/IMG/userfiles/file/SERVICES/COM/Presentation_OHP.pdf

Olly

[ollypenrice]

Today, amongst my bits and bobs, I found an Altair Astro 35mm extension tube with two lockscrews, whereas the TS one that is temporarily in place has only one and risks giving us the droops as it did with the Tadpoles. How these lttle things hold us to ransom. I'll try the Altair one tonight but 2 screws are much better than one!

Olly