National Radio Astronomy Observatory Announces Bipartisan Capital Outlay Funding for Next Generation Learning Center

The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is proud to announce a significant milestone in advancing STEAM education in rural New Mexico. This achievement is the result of dedicated advocacy by Socorro County and Associated Universities, Inc., whose efforts—combined with bipartisan support from state legislators and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham—have secured $1.78 million in capital outlay funding for the Next Generation Learning Center at the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array in Socorro County.

Unveiling the Birth Secrets of Massive Stars with the NSF NRAO Very Large Array

By observing the young star HW2 in Cepheus A, located 2300 light years from Earth, researchers have resolved the structure and dynamics of an accretion disk feeding material to this massive star. This finding sheds light on a central question in astrophysics: how do massive stars, which often end their lives as supernovae, accumulate their immense mass?

Astronomers Detect Earliest and Most Distant Blazar in the Universe

A groundbreaking discovery has revealed the presence of a blazar—a supermassive black hole with a jet pointed directly at Earth—at an extraordinary redshift of 7.0. The object, designated VLASS J041009.05−013919.88 (J0410−0139), is the most distant blazar ever identified, providing a rare glimpse into the epoch of reionization when the universe was less than 800 million years old. This discovery challenges existing models of black hole and galaxy formation in the early cosmos.