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Imaging a Spinning Star

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Interferometric technique with multiple telescopes helps view Altair’s bulging middle.

Hank Hogan

To borrow from an old saying, four telescopes are better than one. Thanks to long-baseline optical interferometry, using a quartet of the devices provides 100 times better performance when it comes to resolving distant objects. Astronomers demonstrated that improvement when they imaged the surface of Altair, a bright star 17 light-years away. Because it spins so fast, the bright star Altair bulges at the equator and, therefore, experiences gravity darkening -- a dimming of the equator. With long-baseline optical interferometry, astronomers were able to see this darkening well enough to...Read full article

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    Published: August 2007
    Glossary
    astronomy
    The scientific observation of celestial radiation that has reached the vicinity of Earth, and the interpretation of these observations to determine the characteristics of the extraterrestrial bodies and phenomena that have emitted the radiation.
    astronomyBasic Scienceenergyoptical interferometryResearch & Technologystellar modelsTech Pulsetelescopes

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