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).
List
+ List of stars with resolved images Star Image Diameter Distance(ly) First imager Year Notes Angular (mas) Geometric () Sun Louis Fizeau and Léon Foucault Altairα Aql (polar) (equator) CHARA array – MIRC Rasalhagueα Oph A (polar) (equator) CHARA array – MIRC Alderaminα Cep (polar) (equator) (polar) (equator) CHARA array – MIRC Caphβ Cas (polar) (equator) CHARA array – MIRC Regulusα Leo Aa (polar) (equator) CHARA array – MIRC Algolβ Per Aa1 CHARA array – MIRC stationary object in the animation β Per Aa2 orbiting object in the animation β Per Ab Observed radius of Algol Ab is an instrumental artifact, caused by bandwidth smearing.Actual radius is 1.73 ± 0.33 . Alkaidη UMa CHARA array σ Gem A 2.425 CHARA array/MIRC 2011 The star contains starspots on its surface Markabα Peg CHARA array Elnathβ Tau CHARA array ζ And Aa (polar) CFHT First direct imaging of starspots on a star outside the Solar System. R Dor New Technology Telescope 2nd largest known star by apparent diameter in Earth's sky, after the Sun. Miraο Cet A –34.9 Hubble – FOC Polarisα UMi Aa CHARA array2024 T Lep 5.8 Very Large Telescope – VLTI/AMBERJ.-B. Le Bouquin, S. Lacour, S. Renard, E. Thiébaut, A. Merand, T. Verhoelst, Pre-maximum spectro-imaging of the Mira star T Leporis with AMBER/VLTI, Astronomy and Astrophysics Volume 496, Number 1, March II 2009, L1–L4. π1 Gru 21 Very Large Telescope – VLTI/PIONIER First directly observed granulation patterns on a star's surface outside the Solar System. Antaresα Sco A 680 553 Very Large Telescope – VLTI/AMBER R Car – 400–540 Very Large Telescope – PIONIER 2014 Betelgeuseα Ori –764 Hubble – GHRS First star with a resolved image outside the Solar System. Sheliakβ Lyr Aa CHARA array – MIRC Both Aa1 and Aa2 are visible in the animation. R Scl Very Large Telescope – AMBER 2017 θ1 Ori C Very Large Telescope – AMBER 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 2016 ε Aur CHARA array – MIRC Supergiant with an eclipsing companion surrounded by a massive, opaque debris disk AZ Cyg CHARA array – MIRC 2011SU Per – SU Persei's database entry at VizieR. CHARA array2015 ρ Cas 564-700 CHARA array 2024 RW Cep – CHARA array – MIRC-X and MYSTIC Hypergiant star currently undergoing a great dimming event Very Large Telescope – VLTI/PIONIER Eclipsing and potential contact binary yellow hypergiantWOH G64 800Very Large Telescope – VLTI/GRAVITY2024Star is in the Large Magellanic Cloud. First resolved image of star outside of the Milky Way.V602 Carinae1,015Very Large Telescope – VLTI/PIONIER2022
See also Doppler imaging which produces maps of the surfaces of stars Zeeman–Doppler imaging which maps the magnetic fields of stars List of directly imaged exoplanets Angular resolution Angular diameter List of nearest stars
Notes
References