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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Sky Glows over Paranal Observatory
NASA ^
| 10 Mar, 2026
| Image Credit & Copyright: Julien Looten
Posted on 03/10/2026 2:29:32 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: Are lasers from giant telescopes being used to defend the Earth? No. Lasers shot from telescopes are now commonly used to help increase the accuracy of astronomical observations. In some directions, Earth atmosphere-induced fluctuations in starlight can indicate how the air mass over a telescope is changing, but in other directions, no bright star exists. In these directions, astronomers can create an artificial star with a laser. Subsequent observations of the artificial laser guide star can reveal information so detailed about the changing blurring effects of the Earth's atmosphere that much of it can be removed by rapidly flexing a telescope's mirror. Such adaptive optics techniques allow high-resolution ground-based observations of real stars, planets, and nebulas. Pictured here, telescopes at Paranal Observatory in Chile study a colorful sky filled with green airglow and the Magellanic Clouds on the left, red airglow on the right, and the majestic central band of our Milky Way Galaxy arching across the center.
TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
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To: MtnClimber
2
posted on
03/10/2026 2:29:57 PM PDT
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
3
posted on
03/10/2026 2:30:19 PM PDT
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list
🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔
4
posted on
03/10/2026 2:31:13 PM PDT
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
Those structures remind me of the Obama library
5
posted on
03/10/2026 2:38:30 PM PDT
by
piasa
(Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
To: piasa
Those structures remind me of the Obama
library LieBarry.
Fixed it.
6
posted on
03/10/2026 2:41:58 PM PDT
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: piasa
Reminds me of the night glow over Tehran....
7
posted on
03/10/2026 2:42:26 PM PDT
by
Magnum44
(...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
To: piasa
They have a kinda futuristic military look to them.
I am reminded of Star Wars...
8
posted on
03/10/2026 3:18:43 PM PDT
by
marktwain
(----------------------)
To: MtnClimber
9
posted on
03/10/2026 3:45:41 PM PDT
by
StAnDeliver
(Trump II)
To: MtnClimber
10
posted on
03/10/2026 3:57:24 PM PDT
by
No name given
( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
To: MtnClimber
11
posted on
03/10/2026 3:57:24 PM PDT
by
No name given
( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
To: MtnClimber
Milky Way just one leg or spiral of the galaxy?
12
posted on
03/10/2026 4:43:30 PM PDT
by
SkyDancer
( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
To: MtnClimber
The Kecks are better.
From a retired Keck engineer.
Aloha.
13
posted on
03/10/2026 6:29:37 PM PDT
by
rellic
(No such thing as a moderate Moslem or Democrat )
To: MtnClimber
It looks almost like some kind of fantasy artwork.
14
posted on
03/10/2026 7:14:54 PM PDT
by
telescope115
(Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
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