List of stars with resolved images

The following is a list of stars with resolved images, that is, stars whose images have been resolved beyond a point source. Aside from the Sun, observed from Earth, stars are exceedingly small in apparent size, requiring the use of special high-resolution equipment and techniques to image. For example, Betelgeuse, the first star other than the Sun to be resolved, has an angular diameter of only 50 milliarcseconds (mas).[1]

List

List of stars with resolved images
Star Image Diameter Distance
(ly) 		First imager Year Notes
Angular (mas) Geometric (Sun = 1)
Sun 2000000 1 0.0000158 Louis Fizeau and Léon Foucault[2] 1845
Altair
α Aql 		3.2 1.66±0.01 (polar)
2.02±0.01 (equator) 		16.77±0.08 CHARA array – MIRC[3] 2006
Rasalhague
α Oph A 		1.62±0.03 2.39±0.01 (polar)
2.87±0.02 (equator) 		48.6±0.8 CHARA array – MIRC[4] 2006
Alderamin
α Cep 		1.35±0.02 (polar)
1.75±0.03 (equator) 		2.20±0.04 (polar)
2.74±0.04 (equator) 		48.8±0.36 CHARA array – MIRC[4] 2006
Caph
β Cas 		1.70±0.04 3.1±0.1 (polar)
3.8±0.1 (equator) 		54.7±0.3 CHARA array – MIRC[5] 2007
Regulus
α Leo Aa 		1.24±0.02 3.2±0.1 (polar)
4.2±0.1 (equator) 		79.3±0.7 CHARA array – MIRC[5] 2008
Algol
β Per Aa1
0.88±0.05 4.13 93±2 CHARA array – MIRC[6] 2006 stationary object in the animation
β Per Aa2 1.12±0.07 3 orbiting object in the animation
β Per Ab 0.56±0.10 0.9 Observed radius of Algol Ab is an instrumental artifact, caused by bandwidth smearing.
Actual radius is 1.73 ± 0.33 R☉.
Alkaid
η UMa 		0.834±0.060 2.86±0.21 103.9±0.8 CHARA array[7] 2012
Markab
α Peg 		1.052±0.066 4.62±0.29 133±1 CHARA array[7] 2012
Elnath
β Tau 		1.09±0.076 4.82±0.34 134±2 CHARA array[7] 2012
σ Gem A 2.425 10.1±0.4 126±2 CHARA array/MIRC[8] 2011–2012 The star contains starspots on its surface
ζ And Aa 2.502±0.008 15.0±0.8 (polar) 189±3 CFHT[9][10] 1996 First direct imaging of starspots on a star outside the Solar System.
R Dor 57±5 370±50 204±9 New Technology Telescope[11] 1993 2nd largest known star by apparent diameter in Earth's sky, after the Sun.
Mira
ο Cet A 		28.9–34.9[12] 332–402[12] 420 Hubble – FOC[13] 1997[citation needed]
Polaris
α UMi Aa 		3.143±0.027 46.27±0.42 446±1 CHARA array|[14] 2024
T Lep 5.8
15 for molecular layer 		100 500 Very Large Telescope – VLTI[15]/AMBER[16] 2009[citation needed]
π1 Gru 21[17] 370[17] 535[17] Very Large Telescope – VLTI/PIONIER[18] 2017[citation needed] First directly observed granulation patterns on a star's surface outside the Solar System.
Antares
α Sco A 		41.3±0.1 680[19] 553[20] Very Large Telescope – VLTI/AMBER[21][22] 2017[citation needed]
Betelgeuse
α Ori 		50 640[23]–764[24] 643±146 Hubble – GHRS[1] 1995 First star with a resolved image outside the Solar System.
Sheliak
β Lyr Aa 		0.46 6 960±50 CHARA array – MIRC[25] 2007 Both Aa1 and Aa2 are visible in the animation.
θ1 Ori C 0.2 10.6±1.5 1400 Very Large Telescope – AMBER[26] 2009 In the image, the right inset is θ1 Ori C and the left inset is θ1 Ori F.
θ1 Ori F Very Large Telescope – VLTI/GRAVITY[27] 2016[citation needed]

ε Aur B 		2.27 3.7±0.7 ca. 2000 CHARA array – MIRC[28] 2009 Supergiant with an eclipsing companion surrounded by a massive, opaque debris disk
RW Cephei 2.45 1100±44 [29] 11000+4600
−2600–22000+5200
−3300 		CHARA array – MIRC-X and MYSTIC[30] 2022 Hypergiant star currently undergoing a great dimming event
HR 5171 Aa 4.1±0.8 1060–1160[31] 11740±1630 Very Large Telescope – VLTI/PIONIER[32] 2014 Eclipsing and potential contact binary yellow hypergiant

See also

References

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