which regulates lasers and other radiation-emitting devices

Why should backyard astronomers care? Well, since hand-held lasers first became commercially available they’ve become a familiar staple at many public star parties. Reflecting back off of the dust and suspended particles in the atmosphere, a green Lasers provides a pointer beam allowing the user to trace out constellations and faint objects. Lasers can also be mounted on the optical tube assemblies of a telescope for pointing in lieu of a finder scope.

There is a class of lasers, IIIa, which by law must be less than 5mW (of measured optical output, not electrical input). This class is legal to sell in the United States, and legal to operate outside in the United States (local or state exceptions may exist) provided you don't do anything stupid. Shining the laser engraving machine 500mw at aircraft in flight, or moving cars, or other equally moronic acts can easily land you in prison for an extended time (and rightly so). Apparently a man who wanted to see if he could hit airplanes as they were landing was in fact successful. Thankfully, none of the pilots crashed, but the man was reported to have received a seven year prison sentence.The following green laser pointers, were chosen with care to meet our requirements of quality and reliability. Apart from their different design, they are versatile and have similar technical specifications. We believe that they are among the best on the market.

We offer also high power IIIb class laser pointers, for professional use only, including astronomy & stargazing and for bird scaring.The Orion SkyLine Deluxe Green Laser Pointer is perfect for stargazers. It emits a thin but distinct green laser beam that appears to stretch all the way to the stars! SkyLine's < 5mW green beam just keeps going and going, seemingly to infinity. It works in light-polluted or moonlit skies just as well as crystal-clear skies in remote locations. It's great for pointing out stars, planets, constellations and more for others to see. The SkyLine Deluxe now uses electronic feedback regulation to ensure ultra-stable beam intensity compared to other 20000mw laser pointer on the market, even in cold temperatures.These are all legitimate uses of laser pointers, says the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates lasers and other radiation-emitting devices. But the agency is concerned about the misuse of these potentially dangerous devices and their increased availability for purchase on the Internet.

Laser pointers are misused when they are directed at people or treated as toys. The light energy from a laser pointer aimed into the eye can be more damaging than staring directly into the sun. And the startling effect of a bright beam of light can cause serious accidents when aimed at a driver in a car, a pilot in a plane, or even a person holding a cup of hot coffee. According to the Laser Institute of America, one woman reported how other mothers she knew bought Laser Pointer 10mW for their children so they could imitate Star Wars characters Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.Anecdotal reports of green laser hazards have previously appeared in scientific journals and the media, but the new NIST tests are the first reported precision measurements of a large number of handheld laser devices. The NIST tests point out that many red laser pointers are also—unexpectedly—out of compliance with federal regulations. "Our results raise numerous safety questions regarding laser pointers and their use," the new paper states.