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Features the RCX400 telescope manufactured by Meade Instruments Corp. in Irvine, California. Physical description; Design and specifications; Availability and pricing.

The article profiles Dave Balogh, a ranger at Yosemite National Park. An experienced amateur astronomer, he has either conducted or organized public stargazing sessions from Yosemite's Glacier Point for 30 years. On different weekends during the summer, amateur astronomers from clubs in Central and Northern California set up telescopes in Yosemite. Club members enjoy a great observing site and also receive free admission to the park, a group campsite for up to 30 people at nearby Bridalveil Campground, and permission to observe all night long from Glacier Point. The idea of having amateur astronomy clubs come to Yosemite was the brainchild of Dave Balogh. Club members enjoy a great observing site and also receive free admission to the park, a group campsite for up to 30 people at nearby Bridalveil Campground, and permission to observe all night long from Glacier Point. Clubs are encouraged to provide at least one telescope for solar observing and 15 telescopes for nighttime observing. INSET: IF YOU WANT TO GO ….

On a mountaintop above Los Angeles, California, distant galaxies and stars have showered light onto the optics of powerful telescopes at the Mount Wilson Observatory for almost 100 years. The observatory is the legacy of one tireless individual, George Ellery Hale, who, while trained in solar physics, found his real calling making American astronomy foremost in the world. In 1904, the Snow Solar Telescope became the first permanent instrument on Mount Wilson. In the 1890s, Hale persuaded a streetcar tycoon to build the largest telescope in the world, the 40-inch refractor at Yerkes Observatory in southeastern Wisconsin. In the 1980s, tightened finances forced the administrators of the observatory to shift its emphasis from the Mount Wilson site to Las Campanas, where dark skies and large telescopes still permit research on faint stars and galaxies. The project uses 24-inch and 14-inch telescopes at the observatory, plus 14-inch telescopes in Chile and Australia. The greatest work done at the observatory was discovering the nature of galaxies and the expanding universe. Advances in technology now allow much larger baselines and higher resolution of images in outer space. INSET: VISITING MOUNT WILSON OBSERVATORY.

The article offers information on the optics of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) located in Livermore, California. These optics are derived from noncrystalline silicon dioxide and they feature optical properties. It discusses the process in eliminating manufacturing defects of the NIF optics. Information about the advanced mitigation process (AMP) is also discussed.

The article focuses on a study conducted by researchers at the Stanford University in Palo Alto, California on various methods that can distribute light from microlens array down to a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) photodiode to identify which methods maximize optical efficiency. The move is due to challenges faced by sensors designers because of the rising demand of CMOS image sensors. A CMOS image sensor includes microlens and color-filter arrays and several dielectric layers.

The article presents information on the history of telescope design. The Carnegie Institution's 100-inch Hooker telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California was completed in 1917. The twin Keck telescopes atop the dormant Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii completed in 1993 and 1996 were the first major instruments to feature a segmented mirror design. The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope on Cerro Paranal in Chile completed in 1909 consists of a cluster of four scopes.

This article reports that scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in California are developing a ground-based optical system to detect space debris, as of May 1993. The system combines a modest, six-inch telescope, state-of-the-art detector, and novel computer software to pick out the faint trace of reflected light left by the debris orbiting overhead. The system tracks the particles of light reflected by the debris, plotting their latitude and longitude. Together, the data can be used to identify the track made by a small piece of debris as it crosses the telescope's field of view. The researchers will use the system to determine how much of this clutter surrounds the earth and thereby estimate what sort of hazard it presents to earth-orbiting missions. They hope to field a demonstration system later this year.

The article provides information on maintaining the optical sharpness of Palomar Observatory's Hale Telescope at the California Institute of Technology's in San Diego County. The telescope's sheer size is nor the only challenge for workers, but also the minor issue of maintaining the mirror's optical properties as perfectly as possible. The author says that even with weekly cleanings, the telescope's mirrors periodically need to be given a new coat of reflective aluminum.

Unlike passive skylights, the ADS-600 active daylighting system, from California-based So-Luminaire, employs a mirror array that tracks the sun precisely throughout the year, directing light from the brightest part of the sky down and into interior spaces. The mirrors conduct low-angle sunlight efficiently, and also shade the intense light sometimes found at high sun angles. The system runs on energy generated by a single photovoltaic cell.

The article informs that 3SAE Technologies Inc., a leader of fiber optic preparation, has developed a two Ring of Fire® technology for fiber optic processing. It mentions the advantages of the technology for enabling precision and repeatability to greater range of diameters. It further informs that the company has debut its technology at the Photonics West, the world's largest conference for biophotonics, in San Francisco, California from February 2 to 7, 2013.

The article reports about California telescope manufacturer, Albert Highe, and his Dobsonian telescopes. Albert and two other partners went to Australia in Gulargambone last November 2007 to test his 10-inch f/5 and 13-inch f/4.5 Dobsonians. These telescopes complied with airline luggage restrictions as they are lightweight and easy to pack. Several features, such as a no-clamp strut design and the mirror cover acting as a counterweight, are also discussed.

Profiles California comet hunter Donald Machholz. Personal background; Interest in astronomy; Highlights of his comet-hunting career; Astronomical instruments; Self-published book; Achievements.

Highlights the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Lasers and Electro-Optics Society annual meeting held in San Diego, California in November 2001. Drop in the meeting's attendance; Factors that influenced meeting attendance; Potential for optical or Gigabit Ethernet to replace the embedded synchronous optical network infrastructure discussed by Ronald Skoog of Telecordia Technologies.

The article reports on the development by a team of engineers and manufacturing experts at LightManufacturing LLC in California of a high-performance heliostat that combines simple setup and operation. Called the LightManufacturing H1 heliostat, it delivers over 2000 watts of heat and light energy to a target, and multiple H1s can be combined into huge powerful arrays. Other features of the device include its unique reflector and a wireless control system.

The article highlights the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the first free-electron laser to emit hard x-rays at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California. The LCLS is capable of delivering 80 femtosecond (fs) pulses containing about 10 trillion x-ray photons. Information on the free-electron laser extracts energy and the several sets of optical instruments that are used for the output of LCLS are also presented.

The article reports on the significance of ZEMAX optical software to do a clinical-trial simulation for intraocular lenses (IOLs) in California. As stated, the optical ensemble analysis method was applied to input several parameters of the eye into ZEMAX software including comeal power and asphericity, IOL defocus decentration and tilt. With the addition of the optical parameters, the simulation can recognize potential IOL irregularities that arise from manufacturing problems.

The article provides information on the discussion made by computer industry experts, which asserts about the loopholes in their plan to integrate optical instruments for the future of multicore processors in San Jose, California. According to the article, the lack of silicon light sources and the number of years before the commercialization of silicon products are among the factors that contribute to the problem. It affirms that the cost of silicon photonics is also one aspect to look into.

The article reports on the move of JDS Uniphase Corp. in California to establish a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that contains a tunable laser and Mach-Zehnder modulator on a single chip. According to the article, the chip is designed for heavy communication systems to achieve an infrared wavelength between 1528 and 1568 nanometer. In addition, the author states that transponders and transceivers will gain transmission even from long distances.

The article focuses on the photonic laser thruster (PLT) developed by Dr. Young Bae of Bae Institute in Tustin, California. According to Bae, PLT has a system that overcomes limitations in inefficient productions using a photon-beam and photonic laser amplifiers which bounces photons between two mirrors. He adds that PLT is appropriate for all space applications, such as advancing spacecraft speed and conforms with the thrust power specification of U.S. National Space Aeronautics Administration.

The article presents the corporate profile of Karl Stroz Industrial America Inc., a manufacturing company based in Culver City, California. The company manufactures high resolution optical testing products, which are designed to offer the highest resolution and durability for use in industrial applications. Karl offers a complete line of products, including field portable digital documentation systems and video, fiber and rigid borescopes.

The article features the optofluidic microscopy device that was invented by the California Institute of Technology's researchers. Using this device, the researchers may obtain finer resolution than the detector pixel size by skewing he placement of apertures diagonally. Additionally, this device enables the researchers to build high-resolution microscope systems which will be comparable in size to a cell phone.

The article introduces the modular confocal, chromatic optical pens from Micro Photonics in Irvine, California. It can be used for profilometry, microtopography and other measurements allow for 30 configurations with five magnifiers with focal lengths from 3.3 to 29 mm and six chromatic lenses with 130 µm to 27 mm depths of field.

The article introduces an online catalog from Melles Griot Photonics Components Group in Carlsbad, California. It lists optomechanical hardware and positioners. Lead-free achromats, variable density, long-pass, notch and fluorescence microscopy filters are included in the new products. There are more than 850 items available.

The article presents information about a new telescope designed to intercept bursts of laser light rather than the radio signals that the astronomers have long listened for. Researchers hope the new "optical extraterrestrial intelligence" scope will help usher in a new era in the ongoing search for alien civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. Built through a grant from the private Planetary Society in Pasadena, California, the new 1.8-meter telescope is equipped with custom-built detectors to hunt for artificial flashes of laser light.

This article presents information on the IK-UM44H, CCD remote-head color camera model. The model is from Toshiba Digital Solutions Division in Irvine, California. The high-resolution 410,000- pixel COD with microlens technology uses digital signal processing. The product comes with three remote camera cables, two lenses-a standard 5.5- millimeter and 18-millimeter telephoto.

Reports on the development of glass lenses that can detail inscriptions as small as 60 nanometers by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley. Advantages of the lenses; Approach used by the Berkeley group to detect and amplify evanescent waves.

Reports on the price cutting of Visor Prism device by Handspring Inc. in Mountain View, California. Announcement of rebate program on its Springboard add-on modules; Involvement of the company and its rival Palm Inc. in the price war.

The article reports on the miniature pressure sensor that was created by the researchers at the University of California, Davis. It is said that the sensors were designed to measure corneal surface stress and intraocular pressure (IOP). The sensors were molded into the shape of a lens. It is said that the current prototype of the lens contains an opaque sensor which makes vision difficult. However, researchers said that they are working on developing transparent sensors.

The article presents an interview with physician Gary Levin of Palm Desert, California. When asked about his experiences on iZion lenses, he answers that it takes about two weeks for the laboratory to fabricate the lenses. When asked about how much fees are they charging, he answered that their practice charges about 340 dollars per pair, giving them a profit margin of 190 dollars per pair.

Focuses on the efforts of the researchers to determine the dynamic characteristics of the fluid pulses from AquaLase liquefaction devices in San Diego, California. Description on the near-and far-field behavior of the fluid pulses; Creation of a crescent fan shape; Improvement of the cataract removal process.

The article discusses the prepared statement of Alcon Laboratories and Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) which states that they agreed to a patent cross licensing agreement for insertion devices in Switzerland and California. Under the licensing agreement, AMO is required to pay Alcon $10 million for the worldwide lenses of single-piece interocular lens implant (IOL) devices. Moreover, Alcon will pay AMO $31 million for non-exclusive worldwide licenses of the two insertion devices.

The article elaborates on the agreement between Panoptx, distributor of 7EYE eyewear collection and Intercast, distributor of NXT and a division of PPG Industries, in Pleasanton, California. As part of both companies' deal, 7EYE replaced its polycarbonate lens line with NXT Performance Sunlenses from Intercast. It directly imports NXT ophthalmic lenses in the proprietary 24:7 original formula to offer eye-care professionals (ECPs) and their patients the same class of lenses for prescription use.

The article reports that scientists at the University of California and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have created an optical probe that potentially combines fluorescence microscopy and force microscopy. A potassium niobate nanowire was used as the key component in creating the probe. The probe uses infrared optical tweezers that physically grab onto and manipulate the nanowire so that it can be gently pressed against an object to be image.

The article deals with the development of an ultrathin digital camera by the engineers at the University of California in San Diego. This technology may yield lightweight, ultrathin, high resolution miniature cameras for unmanned surveillance aircraft, cellular phones and night vision applications. To reduce camera thickness but retain good light collection and high-resolution capabilities, the engineers replaced the traditional lens with a folded optical system.

Provides information on two optical networking devices from Gigabit Optics in Sunnyvale, California. Macro Mux/Demux; Macro OADM.