The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, October 28, 1982-Page 5

Laser

Light

Show

After the show, laser operator Mike Hartman explains the technical
details of the program to curious audience members.

A planetarium star projector was used in conjunction with the lasers to add
to the effect.

A time exposure shows the path of the laser dot. The straight lines were
created by the second laser as it beamed into the audience.
It was a light fantastic kind of show. Friday night at the
Power Center, the artist's brush was replaced by a $27,000 kryp-
ton laser and a sophisticated computer. The green-white laser
beam was refracted, transmitted, diffracted, then projected onto
the screen from behind it. The intense dot of light moved quickly,
forming moving geometric shapes. High-density prisms broke the
light into a myriad of different'shades.
A second laser in front of the screen shot another beam into
the audience. The beam traversed the room and bounced off
mirrors in the auditorium. Adding artistic touches to the spec-
tacular was an on-stage fog machine, a dynamic sound system,
and a planetarium star projector.
Partly pre-programmed and partly a live demonstration, the
dazzling display held the audience captivated for each of the three