Astronomers specializing in a burgeoning field of physics called optical interferometry believe so.

Air turbulence, heat or vibration can ruin the perfect matching of beams needed in optical interferometry to produce fringes and images.

But the disadvantage is that even tiny errors can spoil observations using optical interferometry.

The missions are to apply a new technology called optical interferometry for the first time in space science.

A detailed description of the development of astronomical optical interferometry can be found here.

The spacecraft would have used optical interferometry to accomplish these and other scientific goals.

Astronomical optical interferometry has had to overcome a number of technical issues not shared by radio telescope interferometry.

The Michelson interferometer is the tool used for optical interferometry.

For these reasons optical interferometry is rarely used.

NPOI is one of the few major instruments globally which can conduct optical interferometry.