Blue Laser

timo_w2s

Retired Mod
Joined
Sep 28, 2005
Messages
4,359
Reaction score
2,883
Points
113
Website
www.timo.me.uk
My Satellite Setup
See Signature
My Location
Maidenhead, UK & Helsinki, Finland
Last year to celebrate 135 years of electric light in Helsinki they decided to blast a high power laser from an observatory at a church on the other side of town. This year they've done it again so last night I took some photos...
 

Attachments

  • laser1.jpg
    laser1.jpg
    380.4 KB · Views: 80
  • laser2.jpg
    laser2.jpg
    281.8 KB · Views: 78

Lazarus

Retired Moderator
Joined
May 29, 2009
Messages
27,082
Reaction score
8,669
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
80cm Motorised.
Several small Dishes.
Much else.
My Location
North York Moors
Any Aircraft incidents?
 

PaulR

Dazed and Confused Admin
Staff member
Joined
Jun 28, 2003
Messages
18,024
Reaction score
4,046
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
-----------See sig-----------
My Location
Wirral, NW UK and Vaucluse, France.
That's impressive. The beam seems to spread out rather quickly though - is that because of the air quality perhaps? Does it retain coherance better on clearer nights?
 

timo_w2s

Retired Mod
Joined
Sep 28, 2005
Messages
4,359
Reaction score
2,883
Points
113
Website
www.timo.me.uk
My Satellite Setup
See Signature
My Location
Maidenhead, UK & Helsinki, Finland
Any Aircraft incidents?

A bit deceptive in the photos but it's only just above the buildings aimed horizontally across town, anything flying that low has got other problems to worry about...

That's impressive. The beam seems to spread out rather quickly though - is that because of the air quality perhaps? Does it retain coherance better on clearer nights?

I've only seen it a few times, but when I took those photos it was getting a bit misty/damp as it was a fairly still evening and we've had quite a bit of rain. I think the laser is going through a lens to widen it, at least when it hits its destination (the church) it's a fairly well defined rectangle. I'm planning to go back to take more photos later in the week so I'll see if I can get a photo of the "target" too.
 

timo_w2s

Retired Mod
Joined
Sep 28, 2005
Messages
4,359
Reaction score
2,883
Points
113
Website
www.timo.me.uk
My Satellite Setup
See Signature
My Location
Maidenhead, UK & Helsinki, Finland
I went to see the destination of the laser last night (Kallio church) and took a few more pics. It looked more rectangular from a distance but close up the laser is pretty round. Although it's not very easy to tell from the photos the laser is pretty horizontal, going from one hill to another across town.
 

Attachments

  • laser3.jpg
    laser3.jpg
    299.1 KB · Views: 51
  • laser4.jpg
    laser4.jpg
    392.7 KB · Views: 46
  • laser5.jpg
    laser5.jpg
    380.2 KB · Views: 42
  • laser6.jpg
    laser6.jpg
    463.6 KB · Views: 47
  • laser7.jpg
    laser7.jpg
    469.5 KB · Views: 45

2cvbloke

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2006
Messages
9,768
Reaction score
1,808
Points
113
Age
38
My Satellite Setup
No satellite stuff for the moment (aside from a 43cm minidish that was on the house already), Samsung SyncMaster T27B550 Smart TV & Monitor, and a few computers...
My Location
Near Pontop Pike, Co. Durham
I'm betting someone said "Fire phasers!!" just before they switched on that beam... :D

I'm guessing they didn't have the beam fully focussed as a beam of that strength could probably do some damage, after all, you can buy laser pens of that wavelength that pop balloons and burn holes in things, so imagine what they could do with that one (could remotely light a bonfire, thinking about it!!)... :lol:
 

timo_w2s

Retired Mod
Joined
Sep 28, 2005
Messages
4,359
Reaction score
2,883
Points
113
Website
www.timo.me.uk
My Satellite Setup
See Signature
My Location
Maidenhead, UK & Helsinki, Finland
I dropped my sister off in town tonight and I had my camera with me so I thought I'd go look at the source of the laser - the Helsinki Observatory. It was quite misty so the laser showed up even better although it didn't travel as far this time so just as well I was close to it tonight.
 

Attachments

  • laser1.jpg
    laser1.jpg
    544.2 KB · Views: 27
  • laser2.jpg
    laser2.jpg
    508 KB · Views: 25
  • laser3.jpg
    laser3.jpg
    493 KB · Views: 27
Top