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NSF VLA and ALMA Reveal Hidden “Ring Factories” of Giant Star Clusters in Nearby Galaxies

June 17, 2026 at 9:15 am | News Release

Astronomers have used U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) radio telescopes in Chile and New Mexico to peer through cosmic smoke and haze, building one of the clearest pictures yet of how giant clusters of young stars are born in the hearts of nearby galaxies.

artist's impression of radar waves from the NASA Goldstone Solar System Radar pinging one of Jupiter’s moons, Europa. The radar waves penetrate Europa’s icy surface before bouncing back to be collected by the NSF Green Bank Telescope on Earth.

Radar Echoes From Europa Reveal Secrets Beneath the Ice

June 16, 2026 at 5:15 pm | News Release

A team of scientists has used NASA’s Goldstone Solar System Radar and the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank…

Saving the Quiet Sky: Scientists and Telecom Team Up to Protect NSF VLA

June 16, 2026 at 2:18 pm | News Release

A recent upgrade to a commercial cell phone tower near the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array (NSF…

This image shows the complex distribution of molecular gas in the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ) of the Milky Way. It was obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which ESO is a partner. This map is as long as three full Moons side-by-side in the sky, and it is in fact the largest ALMA image ever obtained.
This map is part of ACES — the ALMA CMZ Exploration Survey — a project designed to understand how gas condenses into stars in the extreme and chaotic environment at the heart of our galaxy. The survey has charted the distribution of dozens of different molecules, five of which are shown here in different colours: sulphur monoxide (cyan), silicon monoxide (green), isocyanic acid (red), cyanoacetylene (blue), and carbon monosulphide (magenta).
The stars in the foreground of this image were observed at infrared wavelengths (Y, Z and J filters) with ESO’s VISTA telescope as part of a different project. The actual density of stars in the CMZ is much higher than what is shown here, where we have opted to highlight the details in the molecular cloud. Note that the edges of the ALMA map appear somewhat sharp because the ALMA observations do not cover the entire rectangular area here.

A Quiet Corner of the Milky Way Could Hold the Secret to Star Formation

June 16, 2026 at 1:15 pm | News Release

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have identified a surprisingly calm region of gas within the turbulent…

VLA Astrophotography from November 2024
Photos taken by Bettymaya Foott
Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/B.Foott

Astronomers Catch Black Holes “Burping” in Radio with the NSF VLA

June 15, 2026 at 1:15 pm | News Release

Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array (NSF VLA) have found that when a supermassive black hole tears apart an unlucky star, the fireworks are not over when the first flash fades.

NSF NRAO at 248th American Astronomical Society Meeting, Science Featured in Six Press Conferences

June 12, 2026 at 10:12 am | News Release

Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) instruments are unveiling new scientific research…

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. 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 U.S. 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..."
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