Lasers, the FAA and Aircraft
Astronomers use lasers for a number of reasons including laser ranging, artificial guide stars, atmospheric remote sensing, and pointing at the stars. The problems created by such lasers have led the FAA to mandate that “one or more observers be stationed outside any telescope that is transmitting a laser beam” and that “these observers close the laser shutter when an aircraft is observed within 25 degrees of the laser beam.” To make things easier for telescope users, a team of astronomers from UCSD have developed “A Radio System for Avoiding Illuminating Aircraft with a Laser Beam.” To learn more about this automated laser beam cutoff system, read the authors’ pre-print online now here.