To better understand the early universe, adaptive optics technique invented
Adaptive optics makes it possible to remove distortions caused by turbulence in the atmosphere when observing the sky. A major innovation in this field has been achieved by a Franco-British team, including astronomers from the Paris Observatory, CNRS and Universite Paris Diderot. This new technique has for the first time been tested and validated under real conditions using the CANARY prototype mounted on a telescope in La Palma (Spain). It enables scientists to observe very faint astronomical sources over a much wider field of view than was previously possible. In the future, this innovative system may be included in one of the instruments that will equip ESO's European Extremely Large Telescope in Chile. It will make it possible to study the early Universe and better understand its evolution.