<p>Presumably, yes, EHT observations could improve on existing radio observations of Betelgeuse (e.g. <a href="https://alma-telescope.jp/en/news/betelgeuse-201801" rel="noreferrer">recent ALMA images</a> and <a href="https://public.nrao.edu/news/vla-shows-boiling-in-atmosphere-of-betelgeuse/" rel="noreferrer">comparatively ancient VLA images</a>). Any observations would likely be targeted at known <a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/30515/2153">photospheric mm or super-mm</a> emission from the star, mapping radius and temperature changes. The ALMA data showed the existence of a spot <span class="math-container">$\sim1000$</span> K hotter than neighboring regions, which would ideally teach us something about convection inside the star.</p>

<p>With a (current) resolution of a couple tens of microarcseconds at <span class="math-container">$\lambda\sim1.3$</span> mm, the EHT would indeed improve on existing interferometer results by orders of magnitude (which I <em>believe</em>, in the case of ALMA, are the highest-resolution images of Betelgeuse, period, at any wavelength).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-05-27T03:01:35.953Z
related: [What will it finally take to accurately measure the distance to Betelgeuse?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/36365/7982)
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T18:10:31.400Z
2020-02-19T18:56:34.580Z
2020-02-19T18:56:34.580Z
HDE 226868
<p>Current images of Betelgeuse are already amazing, but I was wondering if the EHT could be able to make a significantly better image, given that Betelgeuse is pretty big and pretty bright?</p>

<event-horizon-telescope><betelgeuse>
Would the Event Horizon Telescope be able to produce a superior image of Betelgeuse?
Ags1
# Would the Event Horizon Telescope be able to produce a superior image of Betelgeuse?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-19)

Current images of Betelgeuse are already amazing, but I was wondering if the EHT could be able to make a significantly better image, given that Betelgeuse is pretty big and pretty bright?

**Tags:** event-horizon-telescope, betelgeuse


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-02-19. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

Presumably, yes, EHT observations could improve on existing radio observations of Betelgeuse (e.g. [recent ALMA images](https://alma-telescope.jp/en/news/betelgeuse-201801) and [comparatively ancient VLA images](https://public.nrao.edu/news/vla-shows-boiling-in-atmosphere-of-betelgeuse/)). Any observations would likely be targeted at known [photospheric mm or super-mm](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/30515/2153) emission from the star, mapping radius and temperature changes. The ALMA data showed the existence of a spot $\sim1000$ K hotter than neighboring regions, which would ideally teach us something about convection inside the star.

With a (current) resolution of a couple tens of microarcseconds at $\lambda\sim1.3$ mm, the EHT would indeed improve on existing interferometer results by orders of magnitude (which I *believe*, in the case of ALMA, are the highest-resolution images of Betelgeuse, period, at any wavelength).

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: related: [What will it finally take to accurately measure the distance to Betelgeuse?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/36365/7982)  

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