adaptive optics

noun

plural in form but singular or plural in construction

: a telescopic system that improves image resolution by compensating for distortions caused by atmospheric turbulence

Examples of adaptive optics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This process is called adaptive optics and is pretty common now. —

Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 25 June 2024 Current adaptive optics on telescopes can resolve at best a point 30 milliarcseconds across (a measure of an object’s angular size on the sky). —

Ann Finkbeiner, Scientific American, 22 Dec. 2016 But space monitoring and communication strongly benefit from adaptive optics even on modest apertures. —

Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2021 In 1986, the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past the planet, and the Keck Observatory has captured images using advanced adaptive optics. —

Greg Wehner, Fox News, 7 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for adaptive optics

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adaptive optics.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of adaptive optics was in 1966

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Adaptive optics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptive%20optics. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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