Can atoms be seen under an electron microscope?

The answer is partially yes. The contrast that usually we see in the image obtained from an electron microscope, is just the result of various interactions between the incident electrons and the sample under study. read more

Some of the cutting edge electron microscopes can resolve features as small as 1 angstrom. So it is possible to see atoms under an electron microscope. For example, the below image [1] shows a gold nanoparticle. Each of those little bumps is an atom with radius about 1.6 angstrom. read more

Even an electron microscope would allow you to see the atoms of much bigger elements and this happens because this microscope makes use of electrons whose wavelength is much much smaller than wavelength of light so that the interference phenomenon can be avoided to a large extend. read more

"So we can regularly see single atoms and atomic columns." That's because electron microscopes use a beam of electrons rather than photons, as you'd find in a regular light microscope. As electrons have a much shorter wavelength than photons, you can get much greater magnification and better resolution. read more