intensity interferometry

astronomy

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July 15, 2026

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Intensity interferometry is a technique in astronomy used to measure the angular size of bright visible stars. Developed by Robert Hanbury Brown and Richard Q. Twiss, it applies principles of radio interferometry to visible light. This method allows astronomers to overcome atmospheric distortion and resolve details of stars that would otherwise be blurred. An intensity interferometer was set up in Narrabri, Australia, to measure the sizes of hot stars. A stellar interferometer, a related device, is an attachment to a telescope used for measuring objects that subtend very small angles, such as close double stars.12

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Robert Hanbury Brown
…thus developing the technique of intensity interferometry. Brown and Twiss set up an intensity interferometer at Narrabri in New South Wales, Australia, for the measuring of hot stars. From 1964 to 1981 Brown was a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Sydney. He later served as president…
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…thus developing the technique of intensity interferometry. Brown and Twiss set up an intensity interferometer at Narrabri in New South Wales, Australia, for the measuring of hot stars. From 1964 to 1981 Brown was a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Sydney. He later served as president…
Read More