Spatially resolved spectra of silicate dust around Alpha Orionis

We have observed α Orionis with a 10 μm long-slit spectrometer. By applying maximum entropy reconstruction techniques, we have spatially resolved the silicate emission from the circumstellar shell. The emissivity derived from our silicate spectrum compares favorably with published emissivity profiles describing circumstellar silicates. The lack of silicate emission in the direction of the central star suggests that the circumstellar dust may not be distributed in a spherical shell