The Very Large Array: Powerful Astronomical Shapeshifter
In order to study a wide range of astronomical phenomena, the VLA has several shapes or configurations, each with its own advantages. When the Very…
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Successful High-Resolution Moon Imaging Test Paves Way for New Planetary Radar
GBT-VLBA System Images Lunar Landscape The National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Observatory (GBO) and National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and Raytheon Intelligence & Space conducted…
A Blazar in the Early Universe: Details Revealed in Galaxy’s Jet 12.8 Billion Light-Years From Earth
The supersharp radio “vision” of the National Science Foundation’s Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) has revealed previously unseen details in a jet of material ejected…
Scientists Catch Supermassive Black Holes Launching Newborn Radio Jets
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory researchers led a team of scientists who discovered some of the youngest known radio jets launched by growing supermassive black holes…
Astronomers Discover Powerful, Newborn, Radio-Emitting Jets in Distant Galaxies
Astronomers using data from the ongoing VLA Sky Survey (VLASS) have found a number of distant galaxies with supermassive black holes at their cores that…
“Growth Spurt” in the Early Universe: Galaxies in the Infant Universe Were Surprisingly Mature
Massive galaxies were already much more mature in the early universe than previously expected. This was shown by an international team of astronomers who studied…
Volcanic Impact on Jupiter’s Moon Io Shown Directly for the First Time
New radio images from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) show for the first time the direct effect of volcanic activity on the atmosphere of Jupiter’s…
Seeing the Dark Regions of the Universe: The Cold Case of Carbon Monoxide
Fifty years ago, astronomers discovered carbon monoxide in space. It allowed us to see dark regions of the universe, and helped us understand it more…
Closing In on Source of Fast Radio Bursts: VLBA Makes First Direct Distance Measurement to Magnetar
Astronomers using the National Science Foundation’s Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) have made the first direct geometric measurement of the distance to a magnetar within…
How Fast Is the Universe Expanding? Measuring Cosmic Expansion With Radio Astronomy and Gravitational Waves
How fast is the universe expanding? We don’t know for sure. Astronomers study cosmic expansion by measuring the Hubble constant. They have measured this constant…
Stop-and-Start Young Radio Jets Detected From Galaxy 500 Million Light-Years From Earth
Very long baseline array reveals object’s history. In this image, made with the National Science Foundation’s Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), young, radio-emitting jets of…
NASA Missions Explore a “TIE Fighter” Active Galaxy Far, Far Away
Not so long ago, astronomers mapped a galaxy far, far away using radio waves and found it has a strikingly familiar shape. In the process,…
Saturn-Sized Exoplanet Discovered by the Gravitational “Wobble” in the Small, Cool Star It Orbits
Using the supersharp radio “vision” of the National Science Foundation’s continent-wide Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), astronomers have discovered a Saturn-sized planet closely orbiting a…
Stirred-Up Planet Factory Captured by the Revolutionary ALMA Telescope
Planet-forming environments can be much more complex and chaotic than previously expected. This is evidenced by a new image of the star RU Lup, made…
33-Year-Old Cosmic Mystery Solved? Hot “Blob” Discovered in Supernova Remnant – Not a Pulsar or Black Hole
Two teams of astronomers have made a compelling case in the 33-year-old mystery surrounding Supernova 1987A. Based on observations of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array…
Magnetic Field of a Spiral Galaxy: Field Lines Extend Far Beyond Galaxy’s Disk
This image shows the huge extent of a spiral galaxy’s magnetic field. The galaxy NGC 4217 is a star-forming, spiral galaxy, similar to our own…
Unprecedented Astronomy: Atmosphere of the Red Supergiant Star Antares Revealed by Radio Telescopes
An international team of astronomers has created the most detailed map yet of the atmosphere of the red supergiant star Antares. The unprecedented sensitivity and…
Stunning Celestial Fireworks Celebrate Birth of Colossal Star Cluster
Astronomers created a stunning new image showing stellar fireworks in star cluster G286.21+0.17. Most stars in the universe, including our Sun, were born in massive…