Retaining and promoting female talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a goal that must be embraced by large scientific facilities, civil society, academia, and the private sector. A STEM career can be long and full of obstacles for underrepresented minorities, including women, who are strongly influenced by family expectations, teacher bias, and work environments plagued by stereotypes. More female role models in STEM are needed to inspire and increase women’s participation, and they are currently insufficient to retain female employees and stimulate their professional growth into leadership positions.
An NRAO researcher is receiving an engineering award for an innovative development that is improving radio telescope performance and also is benefitting numerous other fields.
The formation of massive stars and planets. The deaths of stars and galaxies. The extreme and violent behaviors of black hole jets and quasars. An up-close and personal radar view of the Moon. These mysteries and more were unraveled in 2021 by radio astronomers leveraging the scientific and technological power of National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) facilities.
Dr. Tony Beasley, Director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and AUI Vice President for Radio Astronomy Operations, was today elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) made a rare detection of a likely stellar flyby event in the Z Canis Majoris (Z CMa) star system. An intruder—not bound to the system—object came in close proximity to and interacted with the environment surrounding the binary protostar, causing the formation of chaotic, stretched-out streams of dust and gas in the disk surrounding it.
Pulsars are neutron stars. They are formed when an old star explodes as a supernova, so you would expect to find them in the center of its supernova remnant. But not always. Astronomers have learned that some pulsars are ejected from its remnant. The Very Large Array has discovered one pulsar that is quite a kick.
Join our host Summer Ash of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory as she talks about how you can get a kick out of pulsars.
