Gemini Staff Photo of the Month - January 2013

Science Operations Specialist Javier Fuentes snapped this dramatic image of the Gemini South telescope as the Gemini Multi-conjugate adaptive optics System (GeMS) laser guide stars propagated into the moonlit night sky over Cerro Pachón in Chile on the evening of January 29th (during the most recent GeMS System Verification/Commissioning run). By strategically timing the shot shortly after moon-rise, and while observing a target in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the image beautifully demonstrates the combination of technology and nature working together in the pursuit of understanding. This is a 20-second exposure at f/4.0, ISO 5000, using a Canon 8-15mm fisheye lens.