Laser Guide Stars: The most stunning yellow lasers

[Rokakku]

Powerful beams make sodium particles in the mesosphere glow creating an artificial star for the computers to lock on to. It gives them a much wider field of view. These lasers are about 22W 589.2nm which makes me wince thinking about how much just one would cost, let alone four on one telescope.

They are so beautiful but so dangerous to an eye. When using them they have to arrange no fly zones. I'd imagine any plane hit by one would fare as well as that laser that zaps mosquito's out the sky. But seriously, how amazing is that! Do you think if I ask nicely jayrob or Podo could make me a pocket one heh. Just kidding. But it makes you think how long it's take for such power to be available in pocket form. If you think of the first computers in the 50's the size of a truck and now the raspberry pie. Even so it'd be extremely illegal to own one like that even if they could. :beer:

Useful links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-fQp3uomKc&user=Kowch737
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_guide_star

More pics:

 

[Emialias]

holy cow! that looks amazing i think im still gonna wait a while before getting my hands on a yellow laser, gonna wait for the prices to drop lol

 

[ElectricPlasma]

Great thread, enjoyed the read and those pictures are insane. Hard to even imagine 22W of it, yet alone how nice it would look!

 

[paul1598419]

Noticed the last photo was just a single exposure for a long time. Yes, I imagine those lasers cost quite a lot.

 

[Eracoy]

What's the technology behind these that they can produce 22W of 589.2nm light? I only know of pulsed dye lasers that can approach that.

 

[micheal rosen]

What's the technology behind these that they can produce 22W of 589.2nm light? I only know of pulsed dye lasers that can approach that.

I beleive they are indeed dye lasers. CNI is actually producting DPSS q-switched 589's for use as laser guide stars, but i dont know if they are being put into use a lot.

 

[RB astro]

I love this technology.
And although my setup is nowhere near as advanced as that, I still love using my 589nm for star pointing and my 532nm pointer on my telescope.

In my setup below I use my small telescope to guide my big telescope so as to be able to get nice sharp images too.
It's a bit different than projecting your own guide star with a 589nm laser but the idea is that the small telescope is hooked up to a computer which 'watches' a star and it's instantaneous movements through our atmosphere and makes tiny corrections on my big telescope's drive unit hence giving me a sharper, better corrected image.

Here below is the Veil Nebula (west) NGC 6960 taken from my back yard !

Like I said I love this technology.

RB

:beer:

 

[Pman]

Holy smokes that's amazing RB. I'm assuming the camera sits on the top plate.

 

[RB astro]

Holy smokes that's amazing RB. I'm assuming the camera sits on the top plate.

hehehe.... I'm so glad you like it Pete !
The camera sits on the back end of the large scope.
It's a normal DSLR so I take off it's normal lens and couple it straight onto the back of the large scope instead.

 

[BowtieGuy]

Simply beautiful photos Rokkaku, although there have been photos of Guide Stars shown here previously, I think this is the first time I've seen the origin of the beams and the laser unit itself.
Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos with us!
:kewlpics:

Amazing setup RB, I'm impressed eveytime I see it!

 

[Pman]

Yeah, that was a stupid comment about the camera being mounted on the top. Don't have any excuse other than its early here and my brain is at half mast.

 

[GSS]

Yeah, that was a stupid comment about the camera being mounted on the top. Don't have any excuse other than its early here and my brain is at half mast.

I thought he just stuck his flip phone in the air and snapped some pics Hope people know i'm not that stupid.
Not a silly question at all Pman and wondered the same.
My My RB just truly breath taking:beer:

 

[Rokakku]

I love this technology.
And although my setup is nowhere near as advanced as that, I still love using my 589nm for star pointing and my 532nm pointer on my telescope.

In my setup below I use my small telescope to guide my big telescope so as to be able to get nice sharp images too.
It's a bit different than projecting your own guide star with a 589nm laser but the idea is that the small telescope is hooked up to a computer which 'watches' a star and it's instantaneous movements through our atmosphere and makes tiny corrections on my big telescope's drive unit hence giving me a sharper, better corrected image.

Here below is the Veil Nebula (west) NGC 6960 taken from my back yard !

Like I said I love this technology.

RB

:beer:

That's an amazing quality picture. I'd really like to get into astronomy when I get some side money. Being able to see the universe like that from your garden is brilliant. Till then I'll just keep collecting space themes stamps.

 

[steve001]

I love this technology.
And although my setup is nowhere near as advanced as that, I still love using my 589nm for star pointing and my 532nm pointer on my telescope.

In my setup below I use my small telescope to guide my big telescope so as to be able to get nice sharp images too.
It's a bit different than projecting your own guide star with a 589nm laser but the idea is that the small telescope is hooked up to a computer which 'watches' a star and it's instantaneous movements through our atmosphere and makes tiny corrections on my big telescope's drive unit hence giving me a sharper, better corrected image.

Here below is the Veil Nebula (west) NGC 6960 taken from my back yard !

Like I said I love this technology.

RB

:beer:

It would be interesting to attach your laser to the telescope and align it so the beam is always centered in the field of view to see how far a distance you can illuminate a surface. I do such a thing it with a spotting scope.

 

[paul1598419]

Yeah, that was a stupid comment about the camera being mounted on the top. Don't have any excuse other than its early here and my brain is at half mast.

:crackup: Been there, done that.

 

[steve001]

I wonder what the beam divergence is?