system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How do Adaptive Optics know how to correct for atmospheric distortion and give us Hubble-quality images from a telescope on the ground?

The atmosphere is always changing (why stars flicker), so how can AO correct for that in realtime?
gpt
the simple version is that they shine a laser UP, and watch for it's reflection/refraction in the air. 

then, they apply the opposite of that reflection to the image they record, and end up with a pretty clear image.  


someone will likely give a more detailed answer, but that's the simple version.