Angular size of stars

[serak_the_preparer]

: )<br />Well, then, here's one more:<br /><br />U-M astronomers capture the first image of surface features on a sun-like star by Jim Erickson (University of Michigan)<br /><br />May 31, 2007<br /><br /><i>. . . One likely target for future studies: Imaging planets around stars beyond our solar system, said U-M's Zhao. "Imaging stars is just the start," he said....<br /><br />In 1924, astronomer Hugo von Zeipel predicted that rapid rotators would display just this type of equatorial bulge. He also surmised that these stars would sport a dark band along the equator called gravity darkening. The bloated equator would appear dark because it is farther from the star's fiery nuclear core, and therefore cooler than the poles.<br /><br />The CHARA picture of Altair, the result of observations made on two nights last summer, is "the first image of a star that allows us to visually confirm that basic idea" of gravity darkening, Monnier said. But the Altair image displays even more equatorial darkening than standard models predict, pointing to flaws in current models, he said....</i>