Figure 1 The Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
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In striving for ever-sharper images, astronomers now use telescopes that can compensate for changes in temperature, and for refraction of light by the atmosphere. Mirror surfaces are being developed to reduce the optical interference effects that degrade images.
Optical telescopes have been developed for over 400 years and have enabled us to look at the universe in ever-increasing detail. This second article on telescope development describes the stabilisation of mirrors to a fraction of the wavelength of light, adaptive optics to remove the effects of the atmosphere and a new way of shaping the primary mirror.
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