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Subaru Telescope in Action

The massive Subaru telescope propagates its adaptive optics laser on the AM hours of May 5. The primary mirror is 8.2m (27 ft) wide, and the telescope itself is 23m (73 ft) tall. Adaptive optics is used to compensate for turbulence in the atmosphere and obtain sharper images.

 

This is a photo I've been trying to capture for a while. I can't be inside the telescope during operations, so I have to set up the cameras during the day. It's amazingly dark inside the dome, which foiled my previous attempts. This is an ISO 6400, 4 minute, f/2.8 exposure, and was pushed about another stop in post. There was a moderate moon, too!

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Uploaded on May 21, 2017
Taken on May 5, 2017