Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology that sharpens the images made by a telescope. AO compensates in real time for the blur imposed by the Earth’s turbulent atmosphere, the same effect that’s responsible for the familiar twinkling of starlight and the shimmer across a hot parking lot. The technology enables high-resolution pictures of planets, stars, galaxies. It is equally valuable in advanced laser communications links between the ground and orbiting satellites, as well as defense applications. The video here shows data collected by HartSCI’s ClearStar AO™ system looking at a star through a 70 cm telescope. When the AO system is not running the star dances around, flickering and flashing. But turn the AO on, and the star now appears bright, sharp, and stable.