Benutzer:Peascolor/Mail

Entwurf für eine Mail an die Starfire Optical Range. Bitte Fehler korrigieren oder nach Gutdünken ergänzen, bevor ich sie heute (25.1.11) abend sende. versandt am 26.1.11, 9:55 Uhr

Die Antwort werde ich hier veröffentlichen, wer sie also sehen möchte, setzt diese Seite bitte auf die Beobachtungsliste. --Peascolor 11:21, 25. Jan. 2011 (CET)

Dear Sir or Madam

There has been some confusion in the German Wikipedia community regarding a photo showing three laser beams from the SOR seemingly meeting at one spot: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starfire_Optical_Range_-_three_lasers_into_space.jpg?uselang=en

We wonder why the beams seem to stop after the supposed meeting point. We have some theories:

• The beams never actually meet, it's just an optical effect caused by the photographer's perspective
• Above a certain height, the density of scattering agents in the atmosphere is too low for the beams to remain visible
• The beams are absorbed by the atmosphere's sodium layer

...but this remains speculation.

Furthermore, could you please explain, why there are three beams used, since it would normally be sufficent to have one beam for a guide star. Do the three beams focus on one point in the sodium layer or do they actually produce three different guide stars - and why?

We thought maybe you can shed some light on this. Could you please tell us what was the purpose of the experiment shown, or the exact reason for the depicted effect?

Thank you in advance!

Best regards