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GS Laser Guide Star

Gemini South Laser Guide Stars

On January 22, 2011, a new era in high-resolution astronomy began with the successful propagation of a 5-star sodium laser guide star “constellation” in the skies over Cerro Pachón in Chile. The images here clearly show this monumental event and the five laser-produced stars shining in the sky (inset). 

Every Picture Tells a Story

This montage is a tribute to a unique instrument at Gemini South known as the Gemini Multi-conjugate adaptive optics System (GeMS). When coupled to the Gemini South Adpative Optics Imager (GSAOI), GeMS can make Gemini’s 8-meter mirror significantly more efficient by focusing light more precisely — allowing astronomers using Gemini to probe objects more deeply and study them in finer detail. 

Visión Láser

Esta toma exterior del telescopio de Gemini Sur muestra el resultado del Sistema Multi-Conjugado de óptica adaptativa de Gemini (GeMS) con el Capturador de Imágenes de Óptica Adaptativa de Gemini Sur (GSAOI). La luz del láser se divide en cinco haces separados que son necesarios para el sistema de óptica adaptativa de Gemini. 

Laser Vision

This exterior shot of the Gemini South telescope shows the result of the Gemini Multi-conjugate adaptive optics System (GeMS) with the Gemini South Adaptive Optics Imager (GSAOI) propagating a laser guide star skyward. The laser’s light is split into five separate beams that are necessary for the Gemini South adaptive optics system. 

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