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Is the Spatial Resolution Obtained with a Radio Telescope Array Smaller than that Provided by JWST?

-- Larry | September 29, 2022

Question:

Years ago, the VLA teamed with other radio telescopes around the world. I would think that the combined signals received would yield vastly higher resolution than the new WEB Iinfrared telescope. I don’t remember any hoopla about your results.

Thanks.

Larry Rodgers

-- Larry

Answer:

In fact, we have answered questions related to this one in the past. Please use the search function on this blog and search for “resolution”. The short answer is, yes, a radio interferometer, specifically the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), provides higher resolution imaging capabilities than the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The JWST can make images with pixels (spatial resolution) as small as 0.032 arcsec (see the summary of the imaging mode capabilities with JWST for further information). The VLBA can make images with a spatial resolution smaller than 0.001 arcsec.

-- Jeff Mangum

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