The Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IMAGE)

Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

The Infrared Optical Telescope Array

Caption

Interferometric observations by SAO's Infrared Optical Telescope Array, shown here, demonstrated that the red giant star Chi Cygni spans at least 300 million miles, large enough to swallow the planet Mars if it were at the center of our solar system. Interferometry combines signals from several telescopes to yield a sharp resolution equivalent to a single, giant telescope.

Credit

CNRS / Observatoire de Paris

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