National Radio Astronomy Observatory – Revealing the Hidden Universe

NEWS + FEATURES

a bright blue young star with a cloud of cold gas surrounding it

15 September 2021

ALMA Reveals Carbon-Rich, Organic Birth Environments of Planets

An international collaboration of scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has completed the most extensive chemical composition mapping of the protoplanetary disks around five nearby young stars at high resolution, producing images that capture the molecular composition associated with planetary births, and a roadmap for future studies of the makeup of planet- and comet-forming regions. The new study unlocks clues about the role of molecules in planetary system formation, and whether these young planetary systems in the making have what it takes to host life.

A line of cartridges for the Band 1 ALMA receivers

7 September 2021

New Receivers Achieve First Light, Set Record for Observational Capabilities at ALMA

2 September 2021

Stellar Collision Triggers Supernova Explosion

30 August 2021

NRAO Names New Assistant Director for New Mexico Operations

19 August 2021

Invisible Colors: Why Astronomers Use Different Radio Bands

9 August 2021

NSF Awards Funding for Next-Generation VLA Antenna Development

29 July 2021

Scientists Observe Gas Re-accretion in Dying Galaxies for the First Time

22 July 2021

New Study Reveals Previously Unseen Star Formation in Milky Way

7 July 2021

Student Summer Research Programs at NRAO Get a Boost from Going Remote

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NRAO TELESCOPES

ALMA

Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in the Atacama Desert, Chile, is the most complex observatory ever built.

Visit ALMA

VLBA

Very Long Baseline Array

The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) is ten radio telescopes stationed across 5,351 miles. It’s the world’s sharpest, dedicated telescope array.

Photo of ten VLA antennas pointing at a cloudy sky at twilight.

VLA

Very Large Array

The VLA is the most advanced radio telescope array on Earth, a customizable interferometer that spans up to 22 miles across.

Visit VLA

NRAO BLOGS

Dusty Doughnuts from your Local Cosmic Café

Nan Janney |

2 August 2021

On a clear dark night, the plane of our Galaxy can be seen arching overhead, filled with bright stars…

Debris Disks: What Can We Learn from the Leftovers of the Planet Formation Process?

Jacob White |

11 June 2021

This article was originally published in Medium on March 9, 2021. Some changes have been made to the original…

A Scintillating Description of Why Quasars Twinkle. Or, How We Tried to Break the Very Large Array.

Jim Lovell |

24 May 2021

One of the great things about being a radio astronomer is that if you have a good idea, and…

Are the Molecules of Life Right-Handed or Left-Handed?

Alberto Bolatto |

3 May 2021

Molecules are found in the hard vacuum of interstellar space, in the same places where new stars and planetary…

Exploring the Invisible Universe with Cardboard and Aluminum Foil

Sam Watchman |

21 March 2021

In November 2020, Oscar Le, a high school teacher from Northern Virginia, contacted us on behalf of one of…

All your Base(Lines) are Belong to Us

Bill E. Saxton |

3 February 2021

One of the many things shared by the astronomical objects observed by NRAO radio telescopes and its Education and…

Filling the Gap in our Knowledge of Planet Formation with the Next Generation Very Large Array

Nienke van der Marel |

19 January 2021

Astronomy is all about our origin: where do we come from? What is the origin of the Earth and…

What’s in that Radio Signal from Proxima Centauri?

Tony Beasley |

4 January 2021

Last month, a story leaked to the press from the Breakthrough Listen Initiative (BLI), a world-wide decade-long effort to…

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#RADIOIMAGEOFTHEWEEK

Megamasers and Cosmology

Artist's conception illustrating a disk of water-bearing gas orbiting the supermassive black hole at the core of a distant galaxy. By observing maser emission from such disks, astronomers can use geometry to measure the distance to the galaxies, a key requirement for calculating the Hubble Constant.

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NRAO Making Waves

Announcements and Achievements

NRAO Congratulates Winners of Breakthrough Prize Awards

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory congratulates four astronomers who earned Breakthrough Prize Foundation awards for their outstanding research on a collision between two neutron stars. Their work made extensive use of the VLA and VLBA.

Nine Children of NRAO Staff Among Recipients of 2021 AUI Scholarship

Fourteen outstanding high school seniors were selected for the AUI 2021 Scholarship—including 9 children of NRAO staff. Each scholarship awardee will receive a $3,500 scholarship, renewable for up to four years.

AUI and NRAO Announce NAC Bridge Scholarship Award

AUI and NRAO have announced the establishment of the National Astronomy Consortium (NAC) Bridge Scholarship Award program to assist and recognize NAC alums on their achievements as they enter graduate school.

NRAO honors pride month: We are {ALL} made of star stuff

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EXPLORE + LEARN

Galaxy Evolution

A galaxy is an island of stars floating on a plate of dark matter, or so the theory goes.

Cosmic Coloring Compositor

Color different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum using multiwavelength images from space. Create your own background for your favorite device.

The Mysterious Dark Energy

Dark Energy has become the largest factor in the equations that may govern the Universe.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
	Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.
	The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."
	AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.