Tag: Artificial stars
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Tarantula Nebula: Artificial Stars via VLT GRAVITY+
Overview: Lasers and the Tarantula Nebula In a remarkable display of modern astronomy, the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) has employed its powerful interferometer, the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), in conjunction with the GRAVITY+ upgrade. The goal: generate artificial stars with laser-tired precision to probe the Tarantula Nebula, one of the most…
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Artificial Stars by Lasers: Tarantula Nebula and the VLT’s GRAVITY+ Breakthrough (Photo of the Day, Nov. 19, 2025)
Overview: Lasers, Interferometry, and the Tarantula Nebula On November 19, 2025, astronomers highlighted a striking demonstration of optical interferometry: lasers used to create artificial stars as part of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and its interferometric upgrade, the VLTI GRAVITY+ system. The Tarantula Nebula, a luminous star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, serves as…