▁star sh ade ▁are ▁designed ▁to ▁eliminate ▁the ▁diff raction ▁that ▁is ▁the ▁central ▁feature ▁of ▁an ▁Arag os cope . ▁ ▁The ▁star sh ade ▁is ▁a ▁space craft ▁designed ▁by ▁Web ster ▁C ash , ▁an ▁ast ro phys ic ist ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Colorado ▁at ▁B ould er ' s ▁Center ▁for ▁Ast ro physics ▁and ▁Space ▁Astronom y . ▁The ▁proposed ▁space craft ▁is ▁designed ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁tan dem ▁with ▁space ▁teles cop es ▁like ▁the ▁James ▁Web b ▁T eles cope ▁or ▁a ▁new ▁ 4 - meter ▁teles cope . ▁It ▁would ▁fly ▁ ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁a ▁space ▁teles cope ▁( between ▁the ▁teles cope ▁and ▁a ▁target ▁star ) ▁and ▁approximately ▁ ▁away ▁from ▁Earth , ▁outside ▁of ▁Earth ' s ▁hel i oc ent ric ▁orbit . ▁When ▁un fur led , ▁the ▁star sh ade ▁res emb les ▁a ▁sun flow er , ▁with ▁pointed ▁pro tr us ions ▁around ▁its ▁circum ference . ▁The ▁star sh ade ▁acts ▁as ▁a ▁very ▁large ▁coron agraph : ▁it ▁blocks ▁light ▁of ▁a ▁distant ▁star , ▁making ▁it ▁easier ▁to ▁observe ▁associated ▁plan ets . ▁The ▁un fur led ▁star sh ade ▁could ▁reduce ▁collected ▁light ▁from ▁bright ▁stars ▁by ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁ 1 0 ▁billion - fold . ▁Light ▁that ▁" le aks " ▁around ▁the ▁edges ▁would ▁be ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁teles cope ▁as ▁it ▁sc ans ▁the ▁target ▁system ▁for ▁plan ets . ▁With ▁the ▁reduction ▁of ▁the ▁har