Astroid as Catacaustic of Deltoid - Xah Lee

Astroid as Catacaustic of Deltoid

This image, drawn by Xah Lee, shows a deltoid and its catacaustic. The deltoid is the curve traced by a point on the perimeter of a circle that is rolling inside a fixed circle whose radius is three times as big. It’s called a deltoid because it looks a bit like the Greek letter delta: $\Delta$. The catacaustic of a curve in the plane is the envelope of rays emitted from some source and reflected off that curve.

Catacaustic of a Cardioid - Greg Egan

Catacaustic of a Cardioid

This image, drawn by Greg Egan, shows a cardioid and its catacaustic. The cardioid is a heart-shaped curve traced by a point on the perimeter of a circle that is rolling around a fixed circle of the same radius. The catacaustic of a curve in the plane is the envelope of rays emitted from some…