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
Molecules in the disc around the star IRS 48
These images from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) show where various gas molecules were found in the disc around the IRS 48 star, also known as Oph-IRS 48. The disc contains a cashew-nut-shaped region in its southern part, which traps millimetre-sized dust grains that can come together and grow into kilometre-sized objects like comets, asteroids and potentially even planets. Recent observations spotted several complex organic molecules in this region, including formaldehyde (H2CO; orange), methanol (CH3OH; green) and dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3; blue), the last being the largest molecule found in a planet-forming disc to date. The emission signaling the presence of these molecules is clearly stronger in the disc’s dust trap, while carbon monoxide gas (CO; purple) is present in the entire gas disc. The location of the central star is marked with a star in all four images. The dust trap is about the same size as the area taken up by the methanol emission, shown on the bottom left.
NRAO Making Waves
Announcements and Achievements
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Science Results From NRAO Facilities to Be Presented at Multiple AAS 240 Press Conferences
Seven new scientific results from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the Very Large Array (VLA), and the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS) will be revealed at multiple press conferences during the 240th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) between June 13-15, 2022 in Pasadena, California.
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NRAO Honors Pride Month: We Are {ALL} Made of Star Stuff
The NRAO has made a visible change to our logo for Pride month, because we want to send the clear message that NRAO values our current and future LGBTQIA+ colleagues, friends, and family members. We send this same message internally by taking seriously our obligation to create and maintain an environment that is safe, secure, and welcoming.
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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.
