Aloha,

Please join us TONIGHT at 7 p.m. as Dr. David Le Mignant shares scientific breakthroughs made possible with the Keck Laser Guide Star. The event will take place TONIGHT at W. M. Keck Observatory headquarters in Waimea, across the street from North Hawaii Hospital:

TITLE: Seeing the Universe in a New Light: The Promise of Lasers in Astronomy

ABSTRACT: Telescopes are time-machines: they collect the light from stars and galaxies that was emitted billions of years ago; the larger the telescope, the deeper we dive into the cosmological ages. Yet it is always giving a blurry vision for the atmosphere distorts the light before it reaches ground.
The Keck Observatory is the first large telescope in the world that uses a new laser-based technology that gives a clear vision and unprecedented views of the cosmos.

We invite you to this introductory lecture to understand the concepts and promises of laser-assisted astronomy, appreciate the technological challenges and enjoy the latest scientific results.

ABOUT DR. LE MIGNANT

David Le Mignant received his Ph. D. in astrophysics and space sciences from Paris University (1998). His Ph.D. thesis was about the circumstellar environment of the most massive stars in our galaxy, based on imaging, spectroscopy and coronagraphy with adaptive optics at the European Southern Observatory in Chile. Dr. Le Mignant joined the AO team of the Keck Observatory in May 2000 to work on K2 and K1 NGS AO integration, development for IF & LGSAO. He currently leads LGSAO science operations at Keck Observatory, participates in research programs that aims at monitoring the volcanism on Io or understanding the shaping of preplanetary nebulae.

Hope to see you there! (Sorry for the late notice)

Laura K. Kinoshita
Public Information Officer
W. M. Keck Observatory
California Association for Research in Astronomy
Kamuela, HI 96743

Laura Kinoshita <lkinoshita@keck.hawaii.edu>