Adaptive optics using a high-powered sodium laser to create an artificial star in a layer of sodium atoms many miles up in the Earth's atmosphere. The artificial star is very bright. It's "twinkling" can be easily sensed and then corrected (in real-time) by actuating a deformable mirror.
		Another example of the power of adapative optics to separate multiple sources. The "natural seeing" image (left) is resolved into many stars -- a star cluster -- using AO (right).
	Another example of the power of adapative optics to separate multiple sources. The "natural seeing" image (left) is resolved into two distinct components (objects) with AO (right).