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The sub-nanoscale size of typical diatomic molecules hinders direct optical access to their constituents. Rydberg macrodimers -bound states of two highly-excited Rydberg atoms -feature interatomic distances easily exceeding optical wavelengths. Here we report the direct microscopic observation and detailed characterization of such molecules in a gas of ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. The bond length of about 0.7 µm, comparable to the size of small bacteria, matches the diagonal distance of the lattice. By exciting pairs in the initial two-dimensional atom array, we resolve more than 50 vibrational resonances. Using our spatially resolved detection, we observe the macrodimers by correlated atom loss and demonstrate control of the molecular alignment by the choice of the vibrational state. Our results allow for rigorous testing of Rydberg interaction potentials and highlight the potential of quantum gas microscopy for molecular physics. arXiv:1812.07533v3 [physics.atom-ph]

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