I am not an astronomer...

Space/Science » in reply to Re: So..... like..... what do you look for on a clear night?

R.L. — 2/22/2003 4:09:31 PM (archived)

My degree is in atomic, molecular and optical physics (AMO). In short I got my degree torturing atoms with lasers...

My current job is to make a fake star in the sodium layer that exists ~90km above the ground. That can be used to, (hopefully soon), allow adaptive optics to be used on ~30% of the sky as opposed to the ~1% AO is currently limited to.

We shine a 18W laser up and tune it to the sodium D2 resonance at 589nm. This makes the sodium atoms glow and create an artificial star....

The whole thread (8 posts)

:( wish me clearer skies! - R.L. - 2/20/2003 12:58:46 PM
- Re: So..... like..... what do you look for on a clear night? - SM - 2/20/2003 2:44:53 PM
  - I am not an astronomer... - R.L. - 2/22/2003 4:09:31 PM
  - Re: So..... like..... what do you look for on a clear night? - Davin L. - 2/21/2003 4:00:37 PM
    - You just lost your tour for that...:) (n/t) (n/t) - R.L. - 2/22/2003 4:18:48 PM
- Re: Done! - Marcia - 2/20/2003 2:37:28 PM
  - Re: Hmm, better make that 3 to 4 hours. :) n/t (n/t) - Marcia - 2/20/2003 2:39:48 PM
    - No such luck.... - R.L. - 2/22/2003 4:14:55 PM

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