Popular Science features the Very Large Telescope in an amazing time-lapse video of the night sky. Put the video on fullscreen and sit back and enjoy it. And while you’re doing that, thank the scientists and engineers who made these telescopes possible.
If there are any astronomers out there who can explain to me why the telescope shoots out a laser from time to time, I’d love to know. Or any other facts you’d like to share. Via the Instapundit, of course.
Time to head to my local planetarium, I think. It’s been too long.
The laser is used to compute adjustments for the earth’s atmosphere: http://www.space.com/9124-shot-heart-telescope-fires-laser-milky.html