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 directly imaged, 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
Star	Image	Angular (mas)	Geometric (Sun = 1)	Distance (ly)	First imager	Year	Notes
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		CHARA array – MIRC^[6]	2006	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]}
T Lep		5.8 15 for molecular layer	100	500	Very Large Telescope – VLTI^[14]/AMBER^[15]	2009^{[citation needed]}
π¹ Gru		21^[16]	370^[16]	535^[16]	Very Large Telescope – VLTI/PIONIER^[17]	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^[18]	553^[19]	Very Large Telescope – VLTI/AMBER^[20]^[21]	2017^{[citation needed]}
Betelgeuse α Ori		50	630	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^[22]	2007	Both Aa1 and Aa2 are visible in the animation.
θ¹ Ori C		0.2	10.6±1.5	1400	Very Large Telescope – AMBER^[23]	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^[24]	2016^{[citation needed]}
ε Aur B		2.27	3.7±0.7	ca. 2000	CHARA array – MIRC^[25]	2009	Supergiant with an eclipsing companion surrounded by a massive, opaque debris disk
RW Cephei		2.45	900–1760	11000+4600 −2600–22000+5200 −3300	CHARA array – MIRC-X and MYSTIC^[26]	2022	Hypergiant star currently undergoing a great dimming event
HR 5171 Aa		4.1±0.8	1575±400	11740±1630	Very Large Telescope – VLTI/PIONIER^[27]	2014	Eclipsing and potential contact binary yellow hypergiant

References

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

List of stars with resolved images

List

See also

References