Earth is fighting a laser duel with the exploding Carina Nebula

[admin]

An epic photo shows the ESO's Very large Telescope firing four orange lasers at a distant star system.

Earth is fighting a laser duel with the exploding Carina Nebula : Read more

 

[Snorrie]

A really clever methodology to tune optical viewing of distant stars. Much better "fireworks" are in the sky than presently on Earth.

 

[Brian Wilshire]

Not quite a laser "duel" -- at such a great distance, the "target" nebula would not actually be where the lasers are pointing. After some 7,500 years, the laser beams will arrive at some other point in our galaxy, probably some thousands of light years away from the target.

 

[Dr. Kyule]

Not quite a laser "duel" -- at such a great distance, the "target" nebula would not actually be where the lasers are pointing. After some 7,500 years, the laser beams will arrive at some other point in our galaxy, probably some thousands of light years away from the target.

You're absolutely right

 

[Brian Wilshire]

An addendum to the above comment: the target nebula would probably not be travelling more than half the speed of light, therefore it might travel no more than a few hundred light years in the next 7,500 years.