We simulate the star light, the medium where the light passes through (atmosphere), the wavefront sensor that measures the phase deformation and the deformable mirror that corrects for that deformation.

In summary, we use blender together with python, Matlab and a bit of (OSL) Open Shading Language to simulate a simple (although quite didactic) AO system. For details about what we simulate, please refer to the previous post. In this post we will talk about the implementation of the simulator. And you can move the Sun Beam X and Y value as if the spot was moving behind.This post is the continuation of a previous post about making an AO system simulation using blender (+friends). The Sun Beam will create the beams behind, the Glare will fake a bit of glow in front of the black title. I put some blur here and there, but the important things are to put a Sun Beams effect after the white title and a Glare effect just before the Output. In the Node Editor / Compositing, organize your nodes: Basically you need to mix ( Alpha Over) the render layer with the black title with the render layer with the white title.

In the Render panel > Film, enable Transparent so that you layers are transparent.

Duplicate the title, put it behind the black version and on another layer, in Edit mode extrude a bit and scale it a bit with Shrink/Fatten, give it a white Emission node, with a Strength of 2.

Give it a black Diffuse node, put in front of your camera.

It must be much easier with Eevee and the Principled Volume, but your question is for Cycles and I can't make Eevee work on my computer. I'm personally struggling with this solution so here is a solution with compositing that comes not too far. You could try with a cube encompassing your scene, and you plug a Volume Scatter node into its Volume Output to create a mist.

Blender light beam