Laser Guide Star & Natural Guide Star Adaptive Optics

This page is designed as a starting point for observers who intend to use Keck AO with NIRC2, OSIRIS, and NIRSPEC with AO (NIRSPAO).

Pre-Obs	Observing	Post-Obs
Do I need the laser? Starlists	AO Troubleshooting Typical Acquisition Sequence LGS-AO Observing Policies	PSF reconstruction Placeholder
Instruments	Optics Docs	Placeholder
NIRC2 Home Page OSIRIS Home Page NIRSPEC Home Page	Optics LGS-AO page Optics NGS-AO page AO System Performance KAON 489 (PDF - 750 kB)	Placeholder Placeholder

Keck AO allows observers to obtain near-diffraction limited images at K-band wavelengths and longward. With NGS-AO and R-band seeing better than 1 arcsecond, users can expect on-axis Strehl ratios of 50% or better on guide stars with R-band brighter than 12th magnitude. NGS-AO guide stars must be less than 30 arcseconds from the field of interest. NGS-AO outperforms LGS-AO down to guide stars with R = 14th magnitude. LGS-AO guide stars can be as dim as R = 18th magnitude and be 60 arcseconds from the field of interest. LGS-AO nights are limited to 70 nights per semester.