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UCLA Team Captures Sharpest Image of Distant Star Disk

10/26/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A UCLA-led team captured the sharpest image of the disk around Beta Canis Minoris, 162 light-years away, using a photonic lantern.
The photonic lantern lets a single telescope produce high-resolution images without an array of telescopes.
It separates starlight into multiple channels to preserve fine details.
The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, revealing an asymmetry in the star's hydrogen disk and prompting further investigation into Be-type stars.

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Story summary

A UCLA-led team captured the sharpest image of the disk around Beta Canis Minoris, 162 light-years away, using a photonic lantern.
The photonic lantern lets a single telescope produce high-resolution images without an array of telescopes.
It separates starlight into multiple channels to preserve fine details.
The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, revealing an asymmetry in the star's hydrogen disk and prompting further investigation into Be-type stars.