News Release – Page 33 – National Radio Astronomy Observatory

IMAGE RELEASE: Giant Magnetic Ropes in a Galaxy’s Halo

VLA image reveals a large-scale magnetic field extending far into a galaxy’s extended halo.

A Weakened Black Hole Allows its Galaxy to Awaken

Astronomers have found the first example of a galaxy cluster where large numbers of stars are being born at its core. The discovery revealed new details of how supermassive black holes affect their host galaxies.

Gas ‘Waterfalls’ Reveal Infant Planets around Young Star

For the first time, astronomers using ALMA have witnessed 3D motions of gas in a planet-forming disk. At three locations in the disk around a young star called HD 163296, gas is flowing like a waterfall into gaps that are most likely caused by planets in formation.

Going Against the Flow Around a Supermassive Black Hole

At the center of a galaxy called NGC 1068, a supermassive black hole hides within a thick doughnut-shaped cloud of dust and gas. When astronomers used ALMA to study this cloud in more detail, they made an unexpected discovery that could explain why supermassive black holes grew so rapidly in the early Universe.

Artist's impression of white dwarf and pulsar

Most Massive Neutron Star Ever Detected, Almost too Massive to Exist

Astronomers using the GBT have discovered the most massive neutron star to date, a rapidly spinning pulsar approximately 4,600 light-years from Earth. This record-breaking object is teetering on the edge of existence, approaching the theoretical maximum mass possible for a neutron star.

Towering Balloon-like Features Discovered near Center of the Milky Way

An international team of astronomers has discovered one of the largest features ever observed in the center of the Milky Way – a pair of enormous radio-emitting bubbles that tower hundreds of light-years above and below the central region of our galaxy.

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