Latest Updates on COVID-19 Measures from NRAO and Operational Status 
The Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) will help astronomers solve some of the greatest mysteries of modern astrophysics,…
A century ago two prominent astronomers held a debate at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The topic concerned…
In the last twenty years, thousands of planets have been discovered outside the Solar System. Some are bigger than…
In the past century, black holes have transformed from being a mere curiosity into a key element of modern…
In the direction of the constellation of Sagittarius, in the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, sits a supermassive…
On a clear dark night, the plane of our Galaxy can be seen arching overhead, filled with bright stars…
This article was originally published in Medium on March 9, 2021. Some changes have been made to the original…
#RADIOIMAGEOFTHEWEEK
"The blob" in Supernova 1987A
Extremely high-resolution ALMA images revealed a hot “blob” in the dusty core of Supernova 1987A (inset), which could be the location of the missing neutron star. The red color shows dust and cold gas in the center of the supernova remnant, taken at radio wavelengths with ALMA. The green and blue hues reveal where the expanding shock wave from the exploded star is colliding with a ring of material around the supernova. The green represents the glow of visible light, captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The blue color reveals the hottest gas and is based on data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The ring was initially made to glow by the flash of light from the original explosion. Over subsequent years the ring material has brightened considerably as the explosion's shock wave slams into it.
NRAO Making Waves
Announcements and Achievements
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Astronomers Reveal First Image of the Black Hole at the Heart of Our Galaxy
Astronomers have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. This result provides overwhelming evidence that the object is indeed a black hole and yields valuable clues about the workings of such giants, which are thought to reside at the center of most galaxies. The image was produced by a global research team called the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration, using observations from a worldwide network of radio telescopes.
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Future of Earth’s Defense is Ground-Based Planetary Radar
The Planetary Science Decadal Survey indicated that new ground-based radar systems will be vital research tools for planetary defense and studying planets, moons, asteroids, and other Solar System objects. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the Green Bank Observatory are developing new capabilities for the Green Bank Telescope and the Very Long Baseline Array that will meet those needs.
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2022 Jansky Fellowships Awarded
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory has awarded four Jansky Postdoctoral Fellowships for 2022. The recipients will pursue research in a wide range of topics during their time as Jansky Fellows.
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NRAO and Optisys Partner Up to Produce 3D Devices for Radio Astronomy
Recent advancements in 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) for metallic structures make it possible to print all-metal electromagnetic devices—like antennas and waveguides—on demand. A new partnership between the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Optisys, LLC, headquartered in West Valley City, Utah, will explore the potential for leveraging this technology for radio astronomy applications.
