In this image of star HD 157728, the adaptive optics system is off, leaving us with a much blurrier picture. This photograph, however, takes advantage of a different tool: a coronagraph.

A coronagraph covers the body of the star with a dark spot, creating a false eclipse and making a long exposure time possible. To get a sharper picture and a longer exposure, the imaging system must use both adaptive optics and a coronagraph.