"Astronomers Create 'Artificial Star' in Hawaii for Space Photo of the Week"

Astronomers at the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii are using adaptive optics and a yellow laser to create an "artificial star" in the Earth's atmosphere, allowing the telescope to correct for the distortions caused by atmospheric turbulence. This technology enables ground-based telescopes to achieve resolutions comparable to space-based telescopes like the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope, potentially leading to higher-resolution images of stars, planets, and galaxies, as well as the direct imaging of exoplanets.