What does a regular star look like?
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
2026-02-20 v2 Astrophysics of Galaxies
Abstract
Recently, astronomers discovered unusual Einstein cross images of the galaxy HerS-3, which feature a bright central spot. Motivated by studies of images produced by regular stars, it has been proposed that optical appearances caused by compact stars acting as gravitational lenses may account for this central bright spot. We further suggest that images produced by regular stars exhibit additional characteristics distinct from those of ordinary black holes, such as the possible partial or complete absence of secondary images. These phenomena may serve as favorable observational criteria for identifying regular stars in future searches.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2602.12200,
title = {What does a regular star look like?},
author = {Yu Liang and Yuhao Cui and Kai Lin and Sen Guo and V. H. Satheeshkumar and Yang Huang and Yang-Yi Sun and Elcio Abdalla},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.12200},
year = {2026}
}