  Radio interferometry is the current method of choice for deep space
astronomy, but in the past few decades optical techniques have become
increasingly common. This research seeks to characterize the performance of
aperture masking interferometry in the near-infrared at small scales. A mask
containing six pairs of apertures at varying diameters and separations was
constructed for use with a 24-inch telescope at the MIT Wallace Astrophysical
Observatory. Test images of Spica and Jupiter were captured for 28 different
telescope configurations, varying aperture separation, aperture diameter,
collection wavelength, and exposure time. Lucky imaging was used to account for
atmospheric perturbations. Each image was reduced via bias and dark frames to
account for sensor noise, and then the full width at half maximum for each
image was computed and used as a proxy for maximum angular resolution. The data
imply that at small scales aperture size primarily controls the observed
maximum angular resolution, but further data are required to substantiate the
claim.
