Table of Contents
Can you see the disc of a star?
Astronomers have imaged disks around young stars like LkHa 101 and IRAS 13481–6124, and also binary systems like Wolf-Rayet 104, Epsilon Aurigae, and Beta Lyrae. Our typical “unit of measure” for these types of images is the milliarcsecond, or one one-thousandth of an arcsecond.
Do we have photos of other stars?
The following is a list of stars with resolved images, that is, stars whose images have been resolved beyond a point source….List.
| Star | Rigil Kentaurus (Alpha Centauri A) | |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | Angular (mas) | 8.511 ± 0.020 |
| Geometric (Sun = 1) | 1.224 ± 0.003 | |
| Distance (ly) | 4.37 | |
| Imager | Very Large Telescope – VINCI/VLTI |
Can telescopes resolve stars?
Yes. The HST [Hubble Space Telescope] has been able to resolve stars in M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy). Even small amateur telescopes can see super nova (that is stars that blow up) in other galaxies as well.
Can we see the disc of Betelgeuse?
Betelgeuse is so close and so big that telescopes here on Earth are able to reveal the surface of the star as a disk, seeing individual features like huge convection cells. You can see how the star looks like a bright sphere.
Are stars other Suns?
If they are stars (and not planets, star clusters, gas clouds or other galaxies) then yes, they are “Suns” from other “Solar systems”. The Kepler mission has shown us that planets are very common around other stars.
What is the nearest star system to the Sun?
Alpha Centauri: Nearest Star System to the Sun. The two main stars are Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, which form a binary pair. They are an average of 4.3 light-years from Earth. The third star is Proxima Centauri. It is about 4.22 light-years from Earth and is the closest star other than the sun.
What are the Sun’s closest stellar neighbors?
The sun’s closest stellar neighbors are three stars in the Alpha Centauri system. The two main stars are Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, which form a binary pair. They are an average of 4.3 light-years from Earth. The third star is Proxima Centauri. It is about 4.22 light-years from Earth and is the closest star other than the sun.
How can you see Proxima Centauri through a telescope?
The two separate stars can be seen through a small telescope; one of the finest binary stars that can be observed. Proxima Centauri is too faint to see unaided, and through a telescope it appears about four diameters of the full moon away from the other two.
What are the two main stars in the Solar System?
The two main stars are Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, which form a binary pair. They are an average of 4.3 light-years from Earth. The third star is Proxima Centauri. It is about 4.22 light-years from Earth and is the closest star other than the sun.