Clear skies.

I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out his tricks!

Tom

And even if they aren't better, yes Andre, they feel better.

"# Aodhhan Says:
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 am

Would be something to have adaptive optic technology advance to a point where it could be used for 12"+ amateur scopes, and affordable as well.
…dream dream dream!"

>> SBIG's A0-8 is about as close as we'll come in the near future, I would imagine. Of course, similar technology will allow this basic design to be improved upon, but I can't see us getting flexible-mirror peizo-actuator equipped telescopes with laser reference stars in the next 50 years!

So I understand exactly what you mean.

But, it it makes you happy, I doubt any national aviation regulator would be happy to have thousands of amateur astronomers pointing industrial strength lasers into the skies over their respective countries. Apparently, the big telescopes that use them have to turn them off when a plane gets too close. That's workable if you only have a few observatories doing that.

I guess it's possible that we will find a way to do adaptive optics without needing a laser guide star — we can now to a limited degree, if the target is within a few arc minutes of a bright star — then it will open up to us amateurs.

In the meantime, the "lucky imaging" technique is already being use by some pioneering amateurs, and doesn't need any extra expensive equipment to use it either.

Yes, because only in USA you'll get to use this technology (should it be mass marketed)… Come on, get your heads out of your "country".

Would be something to have adaptive optic technology advance to a point where it could be used for 12"+ amateur scopes, and affordable as well.

Not sure the FAA would be too happy to have thousands of powerful lasers pointing into the night's sky all over the country!

As for more practical amateur techniques, perhaps "lucky imaging" might be something for people with small telescopes to try?

"Would be something to have adaptive optic technology advance to a point where it could be used for 12"+ amateur scopes, and affordable as well.
…dream dream dream!"

Yes! That would give amateur astronomy a incredible push.

As the forces of technology thrive …

Nice image though! I'm just amazed with how good these ground-based images are getting. Near Hubble quality!

Tom

While some things are cleared up it isn't perfect, so you will have some distortion.
With adaptive optics, the reflector is made up of many mirrors working together to form one large reflector. Each piece is actually making many minor corrections per second to clear up the image. Some software applications can work to smooth the image out more.

The make up of imaging satellites and telescopes are quite different. Imaging satellites don't require adaptive technology in the same sense; what little is done is often performed my software. They are in low earth orbit so light doesn't have to travel very far, and the subject is often very well illuminated.
Resolution is much finer with satellites. For spy satellites you are looking at less than one meter per pixel; with digitally converted images from space you are looking at kilometers per pixel.