Sky science
Angular Resolution
Direct answer
Angular Resolution is the smallest angular separation or detail an observing system can distinguish.
It measures image sharpness on the sky.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Related
- Star Hopping, Averted Vision, Resolving Power, Diffraction Limit
It measures image sharpness on the sky.
A scientific orientation to scale, light, or motion; the article supplies the precise definition.
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The story behind Angular Resolution
Telescope design increasingly pursued resolution alongside light gathering.
A one-minute story
The Wandering Stars
How the moving planets were watched, named and found, and what a transit is.
Why Angular Resolution matters
Angular Resolution determines whether close stars or small structures appear separate.
How to read Angular Resolution
Quote wavelength, aperture, atmosphere, detector sampling, and criterion.
Angular Resolution in practice: an example
A one-arcsecond system cannot cleanly separate features only a tenth of an arcsecond apart.
Where readings of Angular Resolution go wrong
Resolution is not magnification and can be limited by seeing.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- European Southern Observatory: Technology for Telescopes - Observatory reference for aperture, angular resolution, atmospheric seeing, mirrors, and telescope technology.
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Astronomical Almanac Glossary - Definitions for astronomical coordinates, time, reference systems, and observable phenomena.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Astronomy & Skywatching
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
Compare detail in arcseconds
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More in Astronomy & Skywatching
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Common questions
What is Angular Resolution?
Angular Resolution is the smallest angular separation or detail an observing system can distinguish.
What do people get wrong about Angular Resolution?
Resolution is not magnification and can be limited by seeing.
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