Punto Circumpolar como prueba del nuevo láser de Gemini Norte

A medida que las estrellas aparecen rodeando el polo norte celestial, el nuevo láser del telescopio Gemini Norte en Maunakea, Hawaii, se somete a rigurosas pruebas, como se observa en esta imagen de inicios de octubre de 2019. 

Se pospone la Observatorio Internacional Gemini, a program of the National Science Foundation’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab), finalizó recientemente las pruebas de un nuevo láser de la compañía TOPTICA which is a critical component in the telescope’s adaptive optics system. Adaptive optics utilize artificial guide stars, produced by a laser, as a reference when compensating for distortions caused by turbulence in the Earth’s atmosphere. The result is ultra-sharp images that rival the view from space.Laser commissioning activities required pointing at specific parts of the sky designed to both test and calibrate the state-of-the-art laser. This image is created from a stack of images that reveal the Earth’s rotation and the colors inherent in the images. The green glow near the horizon is due to airglow from oxygen high in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The laser is pointing in the direction of Polaris, or the North Star (Hokupa‘a in Hawaiian). NOIRLab staff Joy Pollard and Jason Chu captured a variety of timelapse images of this milestone both inside and outside of the Gemini North dome — watch for more images from Joy’s and Jason’s work in upcoming NOIRLab Imágenes de la semana.