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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

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (December 2017)

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	1845
Altair α Aql		3.2	1.66±0.01 (polar) 2.02±0.01 (equator)	16.77±0.08	CHARA array – MIRC	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	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	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	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	2008
Algol β Per Aa1		0.88±0.05	4.13	93±2	CHARA array – MIRC	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	2012
Markab α Peg		1.052±0.066	4.62±0.29	133±1	CHARA array	2012
Elnath β Tau		1.09±0.076	4.82±0.34	134±2	CHARA array	2012
σ Gem A		2.425	10.1±0.4	126±2	CHARA array/MIRC	2011–2012	The star contains starspots on its surface
ζ And Aa		2.502±0.008	15.0±0.8 (polar)	189±3	CFHT	1996	First direct imaging of starspots on a star outside the Solar System.
R Dor		57±5	370±50	204±9	New Technology Telescope	1993	2nd largest known star by apparent diameter in Earth's sky, after the Sun.
Mira ο Cet A		28.9–34.9	332–402	420	Hubble – FOC	1997
Polaris α UMi Aa		3.143±0.027	46.27±0.42	446±1	CHARA array|	2024
T Lep		5.8 15 for molecular layer	100	500	Very Large Telescope – VLTI/AMBER	2009
π Gru		21	370	535	Very Large Telescope – VLTI/PIONIER	2017	First directly observed granulation patterns on a star's surface outside the Solar System.
Antares α Sco A		41.3±0.1	680	553	Very Large Telescope – VLTI/AMBER	2017
Betelgeuse α Ori		50	640–764	643±146	Hubble – GHRS	1995	First star with a resolved image outside the Solar System.
Sheliak β Lyr Aa		0.46	6	960±50	CHARA array – MIRC	2007	Both Aa1 and Aa2 are visible in the animation.
θ Ori C		0.2	10.6±1.5	1400	Very Large Telescope – AMBER	2009	In the image, the right inset is θ Ori C and the left inset is θ Ori F.
θ Ori F					Very Large Telescope – VLTI/GRAVITY	2016
ε Aur B		2.27	3.7±0.7	ca. 2000	CHARA array – MIRC	2009	Supergiant with an eclipsing companion surrounded by a massive, opaque debris disk
RW Cephei		2.45	1100±44	11000+4600 −2600–22000+5200 −3300	CHARA array – MIRC-X and MYSTIC	2022	Hypergiant star currently undergoing a great dimming event
HR 5171 Aa		4.1±0.8	1060–1160	11740±1630	Very Large Telescope – VLTI/PIONIER	2014	Eclipsing and potential contact binary yellow hypergiant
WOH G64		0.15	800	ca. 160 000	Very Large Telescope – VLTI/GRAVITY	2024	Star is in the Large Magellanic Cloud. First resolved image of star outside of the Milky Way.

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

References

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• Astronomy image articles