What is the technological solution to one of the major disadvantages of ground-based telescopes?

Question

What is this technology called and how does it work?

Answer 1

It is called adaptive optics. Basically an observatory will look at a guide star along with the astronomical object they're trying to observe. As the air moves, the star will twinkle, and a mirror inside the telscope actually bends to compensate for the effects of the atmosphere. The Palomar Observatory actually points a laser up into the sky to create their own "artificial guide star."

Answer 2

I once heard about a method of adjusting the shape of the mirror based on the distortions measured by a fixed shape mirror telescope that was looking through the air along a similar path to something that is some distance away in the direction that the more powerful telescope wants to look. It was supposed to eliminate most of the fuzziness created by the air being clumpy in stead of continuous. I don't remember what it was called.

Answer 3

All ground-based telescopes are hampered by our atmosphere. It causes images from space to appear less distinct than they are. The Hubble Space Telescope overcomes this problem by being located outside the atmosphere in space where there's virtually nothing to impede the light coming from distant objects.

Answer 4

Transducers apply pressure to the telescope mirror to continually change its shape to correct for distortion of the image caused by the atmosphere. These transducers are controlled by a computer.

Answer 5

There is computer software that filters out most of the atmosperic disturbances.