For laser of the long pulses, short pulses and continuous wave with circular polarization, the effect of atmospheric turbulence on the return photons number of sodium laser beacon is studied by numerical simulation method of light propagation under the Greenwood and Hufnagel-valley5/7 (HV5/7) model for atmospheric turbulence. Results indicate that compared with Greenwood model under the HV4/7 model, the atmospheric turbulence causes the further dispersive distribution of laser intensity in the mesosphere and the reduced peak intensity, and return photons number is increased for laser of long pulses and continuous wave with circular polarization. However, the circularly-polarized short pulses cannot get more return photons under the HV5/7 model for atmospheric turbulence. Furthermore, the distribution of photons number exited by the circularly-polarized short pulses and continuous-wave laser is in an agreement with the distribution of laser intensity, but the long pulses are in absence of this character.