An optical probe includes a laser light source that emits laser light, a collimator lens that converts the laser light into parallel light, a light shape changing section that converts the parallel light into linear laser light, an irradiating section to irradiate an object with a selected part of the linear laser light, an image pickup section that picks up an image of the object based on the laser light reflected from the object, and a controller that controls irradiation of the linear laser light. The linear laser light is composed of a plurality of parts including one end part and the other end part; and the irradiating section irradiates the object with the parts of the linear laser light sequentially from the one end part to the other end part.