Man-made star shines in the southern sky

ESO astronomers have been able to create an 'artificial star' 90 km high in the atmosphere, using a laser beam. This star can be put at any point in the sky, and it enables the adaptive optics of the VLT telescope to be used throughout the visible sky. Until now, adaptive optics required the light of a strong natural star as a reference; now, the artificial star will do this. The new technology enlarges the field of vision of the most powerful telescope on Earth. ESApod video programme