galaxies – National Radio Astronomy Observatory

VLBA Maps Turbulent “Weather” in the Milky Way

By analyzing nearly a decade of NSF VLBA observations of the quasar TXS 2005+403, an international team led by the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) directly measured the tiny, turbulence-driven “ripples” imprinted on the quasar’s radio signal as it passes through a particularly chaotic region of the Milky Way.

Hidden Giants of the Early Universe: NSF NRAO Telescopes Help Reveal Divergent Fates of the Most Massive Galaxies

Astronomers using the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) instruments Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and, the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array (NSF VLA), and the W. M. Keck Observatory have uncovered the hidden lives of some of the most massive galaxies in the early Universe, revealing that while some shut down star formation quickly, others continue forming stars behind thick veils of cosmic dust.

VLA Finds Cosmic Rays Driving Galaxy’s Winds

VLA observations revealed that cosmic rays can play an important role in driving winds that rob galaxies of the gas needed to form new stars. This mechanism may be an important factor in galactic evolution, particularly at earlier times in the history of the universe.

Put a Ring On It: How Gravity Gives Astronomers a Powerful Lens On the Universe

Gravity can change the path of light, and sometimes focuses the light of distant galaxies to create a gravitational lens or Einstein Ring. It is a common sight in modern deep field images, but the effect was first seen by the Very Large Array in 1987.

VLA Reveals Double-Helix Structure in Massive Galaxy’s Jet

Astronomers used the VLA to trace a corkscrew-shaped magnetic field in a powerful jet of material ejected from the core of a massive galaxy farther away from the central galaxy’s central black hole than ever seen before. The new images provide clues that will help understand the mechanics of such jets, which are seen throughout the Universe.

Invisible Colors: Why Astronomers Use Different Radio Bands

Radio light is invisible to our eyes, so it’s easy to think of all radio light as the same. But radio is filled with colors, just as the colors of visible light we can see, and radio astronomy is at its most powerful when we use all the colors of its rainbow.

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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