COULD astronomers accidentally knock out satellites? That鈥檚 the worry of the US air force, which restricts the use of lasers that help focus telescopes. Now some astronomers warn they will miss key observations under the rules.
Many large observatories, including Keck and Gemini North in Hawaii, use lasers to determine the amount of turbulence in the atmosphere, which distorts images. Shape-shifting mirrors on the telescopes can then compensate to reduce blurring.
Since a direct laser hit on a satellite could damage its optics, the US air force鈥檚 Space Command has for years restricted when and where US observatories can fire them, with little impact on astronomy. Then two years ago, just as kinks in the laser technology were being ironed out, the rules were tightened. Now, with astronomers eager to use the lasers more, the restrictions are beginning to chafe.
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鈥淪ignificant negative impacts of these new restrictions on scientific productivity are being felt,鈥� says a , based in Washington DC.
The restricted zones are now so large that they can rule out observations even when a satellite is below the horizon, the report says. This results in half to two-thirds of the objects astronomers would like to view with laser assistance on a given night being off-limits, the report adds. And for short-lived phenomena like gamma-ray bursts, there is no second chance.