Question Is observing Proxima Centauri B Possible?

[Illogical]

I've done some math relating to angular size, and M87's central black hole has an angular size of ~42 microarcseconds and Proxima Centauri B has a angular size of about ~35 microarcseconds. And so i think that with todays and developing technology we could get an image of Proxima Centauri B.

Would there be any issues that would arise and do you think it would be possible?

 

[Catastrophe]

Googling real images of Proxima Centauri B gave:

Images for real image of proxima centauri b
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[Helio]

I've done some math relating to angular size, and M87's central black hole has an angular size of ~42 microarcseconds and Proxima Centauri B has a angular size of about ~35 microarcseconds. And so i think that with todays and developing technology we could get an image of Proxima Centauri B.

Would there be any issues that would arise and do you think it would be possible?

To achieve resolution down to 35 microarcseconds would require an aperture size of about 3 km.

But some exoplanets, smaller in apparent size, have been imaged because they are bright enough for a sensor to capture its light, and with the ability to mask the very bright host star. I'm unclear as to how many exops (can I use this term?) have been seen "directly", though it was only a handful a few years ago.

 

[Illogical]

To achieve resolution down to 35 microarcseconds would require an aperture size of about 3 km.

But some exoplanets, smaller in apparent size, have been imaged because they are bright enough for a sensor to capture its light, and with the ability to mask the very bright host star. I'm unclear as to how many exops (can I use this term?) have been seen "directly", though it was only a handful a few years ago.

I was thinking maybe cooperation between many telescopes to get an image, similar to the M87 image.

 

[Catastrophe]

Any use?

List of directly imaged exoplanets - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_directly_imag...

This is a list of extrasolar planets that have been directly observed, sorted by observed ... "Magellan Adaptive Optics First-light Observations of the Exoplanet β Pic b. II. 3-5 μm Direct Imaging with MagAO+Clio, and the Empirical Bolometric ...

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[agent00seven]

All the images captured of Proxima Centauri b were 4.24 years old by the time they reached us.

Exoplanets we can 'directly observe' aren't exactly being directly observed. What we can see takes years to reach us. I keep having to remind myself that what we are observing in deep space happened long before our sun was even formed.

 

[Catastrophe]

Correct. But it is easier seeing them (and maybe corresponding) than it is getting there.

Cat

 

[Helio]

This is a list of extrasolar planets that have been directly observed, sorted by observed ...

There ya go. That's the list.

But I don't understand why they mention Proxima C as being a direct observation and yet not list it. What am I missing?

 

[Helio]

All the images captured of Proxima Centauri b were 4.24 years old by the time they reached us.

Exoplanets we can 'directly observe' aren't exactly being directly observed. What we can see takes years to reach us. I keep having to remind myself that what we are observing in deep space happened long before our sun was even formed.

Yes, but we define direct observations in simple terms to mean what we see.

It doesn't hurt, however, to remind ourselves that there is nothing we see, including the words you are now reading, that doesn't include a time delay.

 

[agent00seven]

Yes, but we define direct observations in simple terms to mean what we see.

It doesn't hurt, however, to remind ourselves that there is nothing we see, including the words you are now reading, that doesn't include a time delay.

I replied to your comment the day before you posted it, but it took until now for it to appear. I hate these delays. I hope quantum mechanics can be utilized to eliminate all delays without eliminating the space-time continuum.

 

[Catastrophe]

Is observing Proxima Centauri B Possible?

That is the question. As has been pointed out, there is an unavoidable delay involved in observation, whether it be a nanosecond or a billion years. No matter. That is built into observation, due to the speed of light.
So why gripe about it? Just observe and take the delay as a fact of Nature.

Cat