Q. I was boating with some friends on Lake Monona recently and we noticed a solid green light beam emanating from a tall building on the UW-Madison campus. What was it?A. It is a green Martian death ray.
At least, that's how staff at the UW-Madison Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences jokingly responded to the question about the green laser coming from on top of the Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science Building, 1225 West Dayton St.
In truth, said senior scientist Ed Eloranta, it is a laser light radar system. "We use it to study clouds and dust in the atmosphere," Eloranta said. "We have one system like this that we built in place in the Arctic."
The light now visible is one they're building for the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., to put on a research aircraft. It's used to get more accurate measurements for research on climate.
The light is normally tested pointing straight up, but this one also functions horizontally. To work through recent performance concerns, Eloranta's group has been pointing it at the Monona water tower, using the tower like a movie screen to test it.
Eloranta stresses the laser beam is entirely safe. For more information, visit lidar.ssec.wisc.edu.
— Melanie Conklin
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