The W. M. Keck Observatory laser guide star adaptive optics system: Overview

The Keck Observatory began science observations with a laser guide star adaptive optics system, the first such system on an 8-10 m class telescope, in late 2004. This new capability greatly extends the scientific potential of the Keck II Telescope, allowing near-diffraction-limited observations in the near-infrared using natural guide stars as faint as 19th magnitude. This paper describes the conceptual approach and technical implementation followed for this system, including lessons learned, and provides an overview of the early science capabilities.