page_title: Corner reflector
section_title: In optics
hierarchical_section_title: Corner reflector / In optics
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Corner Cube Reflector CCR
context_page_description: A corner reflector is a retroreflector consisting of three mutually perpendicular, intersecting flat surfaces, which reflects waves directly towards the source, but translated. The three intersecting surfaces often have square shapes. Radar corner reflectors made of metal are used to reflect radio waves from radar sets. Optical corner reflectors, called corner cubes, made of three-sided glass prisms, are used in surveying and laser ranging.
context_section_description: In optics, corner reflectors typically consist of three mirrors or reflective prism faces which return an incident light beam in the opposite direction. In surveying, retroreflector prisms are commonly used as targets for long-range electronic distance measurement using a total station.
  Five arrays of optical corner reflectors have been placed on the Moon for use by Lunar Laser Ranging experiments observing a laser's time-of-flight to measure the Moon's orbit more precisely than was possible before.  The three largest were placed by NASA as part of the Apollo program, and the Soviet Union built two smaller ones into the Lunokhod rovers.
  Automobile and bicycle tail lights are molded with arrays of small corner reflectors, with different sections oriented for viewing from different angles.  Reflective paint for visibility at night usually contains retroreflective spherical beads.
  Thin plastic with microscopic corner reflector structures can be used as tape, on signs, or sewn or molded onto clothing.
caption: Corner cube reflector
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