Imaging distant objects with space telescopes is limited by diffraction limits
Imaging distant objects using optical and space telescopes is fundamentally constrained by diffraction limits, which modern techniques like interferometry and synthetic aperture systems aim to overcome.
The claim that imaging distant objects with space telescopes is limited by diffraction limits is well-established in optical physics and supported by multiple papers discussing telescope arrays and methods to exceed these traditional diffraction boundaries.
Angel R. A 600 m<sup>2</sup> array of 6.5 m telescopes at the lunar pole.. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2023.0076
Paper 2 discusses utilizing an array of telescopes to achieve diffraction-limited resolution corresponding to a larger aperture.
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Zhang Y, Cui L, Guo X, Kang G, Zhao W, Deng Q, Tang X, Li X, Li C, Ou ZY. Quantum interference of single photons without optical superposition: Toward high resolution imaging in spatial and spectral domains.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aea9701
Paper 4 notes that traditional optical imaging and interference are constrained by the resolution limits imposed by baseline lengths.
Wang R, Zhao Q, Wang T, Modarelli M, Vouras P, Ma Z, Hong Z, Hoshino K, Brady D, Zheng G. Multiscale aperture synthesis imager.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65661-8
Paper 9 describes a synthetic aperture imaging system specifically designed to surpass the diffraction limit of a single optical receiver.
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