Great read, should be mandatory IMO.

Hello laser lovers. I came across this information last night when I was reading about green lasers in the troposphere. Its tells just how far these beams carry and the physics behind it as well as the seriousness of the problems air craft endure with improper and even proper lasers in the night sky. Its probably best to just shut your laser down as soon as you see a private or mid/low flying commercial aircraft whether your are staying clear of them or not. It is till quite distracting. Look at pics of what green lasers from the ground look like from a pilots perspective. It is mind blowing at even 5mw.

RASC Calgary Centre - The Atmosphere, Astronomy and Green Lasers

Keep lasers in responsible hands and legal!!!!!! Help our hobby survive please.
Cheers

Wow, it's really cool to see how they tell the distance from the earth to the moon!

thanks for sharing. now I know why the beams appear to stop after a certain distance. always wondered. used to think it was a divergence thing, but I tried with a 1W green and BE, it still happens, so divergence can't be why. mystery solved, rep for you

Great info., very informative, thanks for sharing!

nwfreefly said:

Look at pics of what green lasers from the ground look like from a pilots perspective. It is mind blowing at even 5mw.

Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong you should never shine a laser at anyone or anything people are in or near but them pictures are altered believe.

1st video shows what people or "pilots" see when flying. 2nd video I made shining my brother from 5 miles.

HOLEEEEY CRAP! If I read this article right, the Japanese have a solid state, 4 watt 589nm, sodium guide-star laser!

Press Release - Solid State Laser for Subaru Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics - Subaru Telescope

Eat your heart out, CNI!!

Also interesting to finally learn why beams appear to "terminate" in the night sky!

-G

Gadget said:

Also interesting to finally learn why beams appear to "terminate" in the night sky!

-G

Click to expand...

That's the part that I found the most interesting. I'm aware of the Rayleigh scattering effect, but I've never really heard of the "planetary boundary layer", or how low it can get to earth.
It does help explain the abruptness of the beam termination, rather than it just gradually fading away.

So, then technically, when pointed horizontally through the atmosphere, (parallel with the ground), the beam should appear to terminate further away than when pointing up towards this boundary layer. Actually I would think that it would tail off rather than an abrupt stop, due to the absence of a boundary layer while traveling horizontally.

My apology. I didn't see the previous post.

Nice find. I use a flight radar on my PC, or when I'm outside on my phone to be sure there are no aircrafts around. I also watch the sky for any undetected aircrafts, so I'm pretty sure I'm fine. (Well, almost. Already had cops on me for having a 2w 445nm)

It gets better further down, but the first screen-full (or two) is simplistic and heavy-handed, almost like a drill sergeant talking to juvenile delinquents at one of those boot-camps for juvenile offenders. "Listen up kids! I know you're stupid. That's why they sent you here. I also know you're messing around with drugs. So let me just say one thing: I am going to make your life a living hell. Do you hear me?"