What does adaptive optics mean?
Definitions for adaptive optics
adap·tive op·tics
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word adaptive optics.
GCIDE
adaptive opticsnoun
an optical system used in some telescopes since the 1980's which rapidly changes the shape of the primary reflecting mirror to adjust for distortions of light which are caused by atmospheric turbulence. By reducing the distortions caused by the atmosphere, telescopes fitted with such optics can achieve a higher resolving power than normal telescopes with static mirrors.
Wiktionary
adaptive opticsnoun
An optical system in telescopes that reduces atmospheric distortion by dynamically measuring and correcting wavefront aberrations in real time, often by using a deformable mirror.
Wikipedia
Adaptive optics
Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effect of incoming wavefront distortions by deforming a mirror in order to compensate for the distortion. It is used in astronomical telescopes and laser communication systems to remove the effects of atmospheric distortion, in microscopy, optical fabrication and in retinal imaging systems to reduce optical aberrations. Adaptive optics works by measuring the distortions in a wavefront and compensating for them with a device that corrects those errors such as a deformable mirror or a liquid crystal array.Adaptive optics should not be confused with active optics, which works on a longer timescale to correct the primary mirror geometry.Other methods can achieve resolving power exceeding the limit imposed by atmospheric distortion, such as speckle imaging, aperture synthesis, and lucky imaging, or by moving outside the atmosphere with space telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope.
Wikidata
Adaptive optics
Adaptive optics is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effect of wavefront distortions. It is used in astronomical telescopes and laser communication systems to remove the effects of atmospheric distortion, in microscopy, optical fabrication and in retinal imaging systems to reduce optical aberrations. Adaptive optics works by measuring the distortions in a wavefront and compensating for them with a device that corrects those errors such as a deformable mirror or a liquid crystal array. AO was first envisioned by Horace W. Babcock in 1953, and was also considered in Science Fiction, as in Poul Anderson's novel Tau Zero, but it did not come into common usage until advances in computer technology during the 1990s made the technique practical. Adaptive optics should not be confused with active optics, which works on a longer timescale to correct the primary mirror geometry. Other methods can achieve resolving power exceeding the limit imposed by atmospheric distortion, such as speckle imaging, aperture synthesis, and lucky imaging, or by moving outside the atmosphere with space telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of adaptive optics in Chaldean Numerology is: 2
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of adaptive optics in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
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"adaptive optics." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 26 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/adaptive+optics>.
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