FGS Instrument Handbook for Cycle 24

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3.5	Angular Diameters

The FGS has been used (Lattanzi et al. 1997) to determine the angular diameters of non-point sources. The example given in Figure 3.5 shows the Transfer Function of a Mira-type variable superposed on the S-Curve of a point source (both observed with FGS3). The extended source - a disk of 78 mas - is clearly distinguishable from a point source. In addition to stellar discs, other objects which might be (or have been) resolved by the FGS include galactic nuclei, asteroids, and planetary moons.

Figure 3.5: Mira-type variable with a resolved circumstellar disk