Astronomy’s Quest for Sharp Images

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

   PDF

2. One Night in Paranal

   • Pierre Léna

   Pages 1-14

3. From the Dawn of Time

   • Pierre Léna

   Pages 15-30

4. Too Good to Be True? Adaptive Optics

   • Pierre Léna

   Pages 31-57

5. The Quest for Sharp Images: Interferometry

   • Pierre Léna

   Pages 59-118

6. The Very Large Telescope: A Twofold Victory Over Blur

   • Pierre Léna

   Pages 119-157

7. Images of Exoplanets

   • Pierre Léna

   Pages 159-182

8. Our Neighbour, the Black Hole

   • Pierre Léna

   Pages 183-216

9. The Future Lies in the Details

   • Pierre Léna

   Pages 217-234

10. Epilogue

    • Pierre Léna

    Pages 235-237

11. Back Matter

    Pages 239-271

    PDF

Since the 1960s, astrophysical discoveries have blossomed, due to the emergence of powerful and new observational tools. Among them, a fantastic improvement of the sharpness of astronomical images, obtained with ground based optical telescopes, has been the result of two revolutions: adaptive optics and optical interferometry.

Written for a general audience, interwoven with fascinating details about the evolution of vision and optics, this book tells a personal story of these revolutions in observational astronomy, born two centuries ago and blossoming in the past fifty years. With the construction of the Very Large Telescope in Chile, Europe played a leading role where young scientists, joining creative astronomers and engineers, have developed a superb creativity. Today, incredibly sharp images of exoplanetary systems and black hole environments are obtained and reveal new questions about Earth-like objects or fundamental physics. 

The author has been one of the actors of this adventure. His first-hand testimony is opening the future to new horizons.

• History of adaptive optics
• wavefront analysis
• optical interferometry
• astronomical seeing
• laser guide star
• atmospheric turbulence
• artificial star
• imaging exoplanets
• imaging black holes
• Very Large Telescope (VLT)
• Keck Telescopes
• giant telescopes

“This slim, well-written book contains at least all that the non-specialist might need to learn about the developments and achievements of adaptive optics in astronomical telescopes. … The language is fluent, the writing clean and clear, and the assembly of unfolding facts almost chronological. … It’s a good read for both astronomer and layperson … .” (Elizabeth Griffin, The Observatory, Vol. 141 (1284), October, 2021)

• Observatoire de Paris & Université de Paris, Meudon, France

  Pierre Léna

Pierre Léna, born 1937, is a French astrophysicist, Emeritus Professor at the Université de Paris and Paris Observatory. His scientific work focused on infrared astronomy and star formation. His interest for image quality in astronomy led him to develop adaptive optics and optical interferometry applied to the European Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, both techniques making today the VLT a unique instrument for the study of exoplanets and black holes. In charge for many years of the École doctorale ‘Astronomie & Astrophysique d’Île-de-France’, he contributed to the training of many students in these new areas. In 1996 he co-founded the program ‘La main à la pâte’ to renovate science education in primary and middle schools, working at national, European and international levels. In 2011 he chaired the InterAcademy Partnership for Science education program. Then for 2012-2016, he chaired the new Foundation ‘La main à la pâte’, created by the French Académie des sciences. In 2018, hecreated the Office for Climate Education in connection with IAP and IPCC, with a broad international network. Pierre Léna belongs to the French Académie des sciences, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and several other Academies. He is the author of many publications, movies and books, both professional and aimed at the general public.

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