Lasers spectacular

The new laser on the Keck I telescope has inspired two avid Mauna Kea photographers to capture the light show in a series of stunning images and videos. We’ve collected some of their work here for your entertainment and inspiration. The following video is by Andrew Cooper who assembled it with more than 90 separate one-minute images he took on the night of May 26, 2011.

This second video was shot in March by Dan Birchall, of the Subaru Telescope.Dan has a nice vantage point on the ground of Subaru, south and a bit below the Keck Observatory. 

Finally, we have this beautiful panoramic image by Dan Birchall. His position was to the west of the Subaru Telescope, which can be seen to the far right in this image. Keck I is in the middle and Keck II to the left. The Milky Way stretches across the sky.