The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) has begun a major upgrade to the NSF Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA) with the development and installation of state-of-the-art ultra wideband receivers capable of operating across the frequency range of 8 to 40 gigahertz (GHz). This new technology, first prototyped by NRAO in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and tested on the NSF VLBA’s Owens Valley station, promises to significantly expand the scientific capabilities of the NSF VLBA.


NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory Collaborates with RIX Industries to Advance Cryogenic Cooling Technology for the Next Generation Very Large Array
The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is excited to announce a collaboration with RIX Industries to explore innovative cryogenic cooling solutions for the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA)

Astronomers Catch Unprecedented Features at Brink of Active Black Hole
International teams of astronomers monitoring a supermassive black hole in the heart of a distant galaxy have detected features never seen before using data from NASA missions and other facilities including the National Science Foundation (NSF) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA).

Early Evolution of Planetary Disk Structures Seen for the First Time
An international team of astronomers have found ring and spiral structures in very young planetary disks, demonstrating that planet formation may begin much earlier than once thought. The results were presented today at the 243rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Mystery of Star Formation Revealed by Hearts of Molecular Clouds
An international team of astronomers has revealed mysterious star formation at the far edge of the galaxy M83. This research was presented today in a press conference at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in New Orleans, Louisiana. The research used several instruments operated by the National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), including the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), and the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), along with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan’s (NAOJ) Subaru Telescope and the NASA Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX).

Book Release: “Joe Pawsey and the Founding of Australian Radio Astronomy”
This book was more than 15 years in the making, and it is a collaboration of three authors across two continents who worked together to bring to light the story of Joe Pawsey, a key figure in Australian science and, especially, radio astronomy.