National Radio Astronomy Observatory - National Radio Astronomy Observatory

NEWS + FEATURES

16 April 2019

The Giant In Our Backyard

For decades astronomers have dreamed of seeing a black hole. That dream may soon become a reality.

EHT image of event horizon in the central supermassive black hole of M87

10 April 2019

Radio Astronomy and Black Holes

2 April 2019

VLA Makes First Direct Image of Key Feature of Powerful Radio Galaxies

19 March 2019

Astronomers Find “Cannonball Pulsar” Speeding Through Space

18 March 2019

Image Release: ALMA Shows Birth of Spiraling Giants

Artist Impression of salt in protoplanetary disk

7 February 2019

Liberal Sprinkling of Salt Discovered around a Young Star

Artist's conception of a gamma ray burst

10 January 2019

Astronomers Study Mysterious New Type of Cosmic Blast

9 January 2019

What 100,000 Star Factories in 74 Galaxies Tell Us about Star Formation across the Universe

Artist impression of a supermassive black hole

7 January 2019

Tale As Old As Time

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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

NRAO NINE Participants Explore Radio Astronomy in Trinidad

Brian Kent |

21 March 2019

The NRAO NINE (National and International Non-traditional Exchange) program and Office of Diversity and Inclusion aim to train students…

On Young Love (of Radio Telescopes)

Olivia Harper Wilkins |

26 February 2019

My two-year-old loves radio telescopes. My friends are convinced that I trained my son Günther to point to and…

Where Will the Next-Generation Very Large Array Take Us? To Our Cosmic Origins

Dr. Kristina Nyland |

14 January 2019

Dr. Kristina Nyland was a postdoctoral research associate at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory from 2015 to 2018. She has…

Developing a Quick Method to Review VLASS QuickLook Data

Jason Renwick |

8 January 2019

The NRAO-led National and International Non-Traditional Exchange (NINE) Program, part of the NRAO Office of Diversity and Inclusion, trains…

When Astronomers See Disks, They See Chemical Cauldrons

Charles Blue |

26 November 2018

Astronomy has shown us striking images of galaxies, star clusters, and vast glowing nebula. But for many scientists, that…

Remember to Look Up at the Stars, Not Down at your Data

Moiya McTier |

19 November 2018

Last June 2018, a group of astronomy educators, under the auspices of the National Science Foundation’s Astronomy in Chile…

Linking our Lineage: From Radio Operator to Radio Receiver

Dave Finley |

7 November 2018

Radio astronomy and amateur radio have a close historical connection, and one theme of the hamfest VLA tour is…

How Solar Systems Speak to Us

Adam Gattuso |

14 October 2018

How do we know what’s going on in protoplanetary disks? Visible light telescopes don’t reveal much, because the thick…

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#RADIOIMAGEOFTHEWEEK

Picture Perfect VLA

A gorgeous day in central New Mexico gives a photographer this stunning shot of the Very Large Array in its most compact configuration.

See Past Images of the Week

EXPLORE + LEARN

Cosmic Coloring Compositor

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

Star Life and Death

Different star types “live” and “die” in different ways based on how much matter they started with and if they were born with siblings nearby.

What is Radio Astronomy?

We see the world around us, because our eyes detect visible light, a type of electromagnetic radiation. Objects on Earth and in space also emit other types of EM radiation that cannot be seen by the human eye, such as radio waves.

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 progess 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.