Is it possible to capture starlight in a way that reveals a thousand times finer detail? Here at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory stands the Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope, or COAST. It is a testament to human ingenuity. COAST overcomes atmospheric problems. It synthesizes pictures with incredible detail.
The Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope is no ordinary telescope. It’s a multi-element optical astronomical interferometer. It boasts baselines stretching up to 100 metres. COAST uses aperture synthesis. This allows it to observe stars with angular resolution as high as one thousandth of one arcsecond. That produces much higher resolution images than individual telescopes. Even the Hubble Space Telescope can’t match it.
However, COAST has a limitation. It can only image bright stars. Despite this, COAST achieved a groundbreaking feat. It was the first long-baseline interferometer. It obtained high-resolution images of the surfaces of stars other than our Sun. Other stars had previously been imaged. But that was at lower resolution using aperture masking interferometry. The William Herschel Telescope was used for that.
John E. Baldwin conceived the COAST array. It is operated by the Cavendish Astrophysics Group. This group continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in astronomical observation.
COAST serves as a testbed. It tests subsystems and components. These are intended for other interferometer arrays. These include the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer and the Very Large Telescope Interferometer.
The Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope faced demanding tasks. It images the surfaces of individual stars. It studies the interaction of close pairs of stars. The telescope combines light from four small separated telescopes.
Researchers using COAST are interested in the physical origin of surface asymmetries on red supergiant stars. They are also interested in atmospheric structure. They study mass-loss in pulsating long-period variable stars. COAST also assists with research into AGB stars. They are planetary nebula precursors. COAST helps discover the origins of asymmetric structure. Radio and optical properties of Seyfert galaxies are studied using the Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope. It gives insights into unified schemes for Active Galactic Nuclei.
So, as you gaze upon the Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope remember its purpose. It captures the faint whispers of distant stars. It transforms them into images of unparalleled clarity. It connects us to the cosmos.