Airy pattern

The Airy pattern describes the way light from a small, distant point source spreads out when passing through a circular opening, like a telescope or camera lens. Instead of forming a perfect point, the light creates a bright central area called the Airy disk, surrounded by concentric rings of decreasing brightness. This pattern results from the wave nature of light and diffraction effects. It limits the resolution of optical instruments because even tiny details produce these rings, making it harder to distinguish objects that are very close together.