Latest News from: National Radio Astronomy Observatory

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Newswise: ALMA Reveals Planets Can Form Under Harsh Radiation
Released: 18-Nov-2024 1:25 PM EST
ALMA Reveals Planets Can Form Under Harsh Radiation
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

New observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) suggest that planet formation can occur even in harsh stellar environments previously thought to be inhospitable.An international team of astronomers used ALMA to capture high-resolution images of eight protoplanetary disks in the Sigma Orionis cluster, which is irradiated by intense ultraviolet light from a massive nearby star.

Newswise: A Cosmic Chemical Breakthrough: Astronomers Discover New Building Blocks for Complex Organic Matter
23-Oct-2024 2:00 PM EDT
A Cosmic Chemical Breakthrough: Astronomers Discover New Building Blocks for Complex Organic Matter
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

The element carbon is a building block for life, both on Earth and potentially elsewhere in the vast reaches of space. There should be a lot of carbon in space, but surprisingly, it's not always easy to find. While it can be observed in many places, it doesn’t add up to the volume astronomers would expect to see. The discovery of a new, complex molecule (1-cyanopyrene), challenges these expectations, about where the building blocks for carbon are found, and how they evolve. This research was published today in the journal Science.

Newswise:Video Embedded alma-detects-hallmark-wiggle-of-gravitational-instability-in-planet-forming-disk
VIDEO
Released: 4-Sep-2024 11:00 AM EDT
ALMA Detects Hallmark “Wiggle” of Gravitational Instability in Planet-Forming Disk
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Traditionally, planet formation has been described as a “bottom-up” process, as dust grains gradually collect into bigger conglomerations over tens of millions of years: from microns, to centimeters, to meters, to kilometers.

Newswise: Astronomers, Satellite Internet Provider Develop New System to Share the Sky
8-Aug-2024 4:00 PM EDT
Astronomers, Satellite Internet Provider Develop New System to Share the Sky
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Astronomers learn about the universe by pointing their telescopes to the sky. But what happens when a satellite comes between them and the cosmological objects they hope to study?

Newswise: Plasma Bubbles and the “Engine” of Fast Radio Bursts
Released: 8-Aug-2024 3:05 PM EDT
Plasma Bubbles and the “Engine” of Fast Radio Bursts
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Socorro, NM – The US National Science Foundation (NSF) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (NSF VLA) have played a pivotal role in uncovering the origins of persistent emissions observed in some fast radio bursts (FRBs). An international team of astronomers has demonstrated that this persistent radiation originates from a plasma bubble, shedding new light on the enigmatic sources powering these cosmic phenomena.

Newswise: Precision Measurements Offer Clues to Magnetar’s Cosmic Origin
Released: 8-Aug-2024 3:05 PM EDT
Precision Measurements Offer Clues to Magnetar’s Cosmic Origin
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

An international team of astronomers have used a powerful array of radio telescopes to discover new insights about a magnetar that’s only a few hundred years old. By capturing precise measurements of the magnetar’s position and velocity, new clues emerge regarding its developmental path. When a relatively high-mass star collapses at the end of its life and explodes as a supernova, it can leave behind a superdense star called a neutron star.

Newswise: Telescope Tag-Team Discovers Galactic Cluster’s Bizarre Secrets
Released: 16-Jul-2024 9:05 AM EDT
Telescope Tag-Team Discovers Galactic Cluster’s Bizarre Secrets
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Towards the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, in the constellation Sagittarius, astronomers have discovered  10 monstrous neutron stars. Astronomers already knew that 39 pulsars call Terzan 5 home.

Newswise: ALMA Observations Reveal New Insights into Planet Formation in Binary Star Systems
10-Jun-2024 11:15 AM EDT
ALMA Observations Reveal New Insights into Planet Formation in Binary Star Systems
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

At the 244th American Astronomical Society meeting, researchers presented groundbreaking findings on planet formation in circumstellar disks around young binary stars

Newswise: Invisible Realms Revealed: Radio Technology Expands Frontiers of Astronomy and Medicine
4-Jun-2024 12:05 PM EDT
Invisible Realms Revealed: Radio Technology Expands Frontiers of Astronomy and Medicine
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Exploring the ongoing potential of the technical overlap between astronomy and medicine, experts from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the medical imaging field presented to an audience of around 2,000 at the prestigious International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Conference in Singapore.

   
Newswise:Video Embedded orion-s-erupting-star-system-reveals-its-secrets
VIDEO
24-Apr-2024 3:05 PM EDT
Orion’s Erupting Star System Reveals Its Secrets
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

An unusual group of stars in the Orion constellation have revealed their secrets. FU Orionis, a double star system, first caught astronomers’ attention in 1936 when the central star suddenly became 1,000 times brighter than usual.

Newswise: Stellar Explosions and Cosmic Chemistry
Released: 1-Apr-2024 2:05 PM EDT
Stellar Explosions and Cosmic Chemistry
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Astronomers have discovered the secrets of a starburst galaxy producing new stars at a rate much faster than our Milk Way. This research revealed many different molecules, more than ever seen before in a galaxy like this.

14-Mar-2024 9:00 AM EDT
Broadband Will Bring High-Speed Internet Connectivity to the National Radio Quiet Zone
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Pocahontas County, West Virginia residents are set to experience a transformative shift in their internet connectivity, as the state of West Virginia announces substantial developments in the broadband infrastructure.

Released: 6-Mar-2024 6:05 AM EST
Astronomers & Engineers Use a Grid of Computers at a National Scale to Study the Universe 300 Times Faster
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

The Universe is almost inconceivably vast. So is the amount of data astronomers collect when they study it. This is a challenging process for the scientists and engineers at the U.S. National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). But what if they could do it over 300 times faster?

Newswise: Partial-Tycho-Crater.png?resize=1152%2C1536&ssl=1
15-Feb-2024 9:05 AM EST
Can Astronomers Use Radar to Spot a Cataclysmic Asteroid?
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

How does ground-based astronomical radar expand our understanding of the Universe? By allowing us to study our nearby Solar System, and everything in it, in unprecedented detail. Radar can reveal the surface and ancient geology of planets and their moons, letting us trace their evolution.

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Released: 13-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
Astronomers Discover Jupiter-sized Objects Drawn into Each Other’s Orbit
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

In our most basic understanding of our Solar System, planets are drawn into the orbit of our massive star, the Sun. But what happens to planet-sized objects that don’t have a star? A team of astronomers studying Jupiter-mass binary objects (JuMBOs) in the Orion Nebula are gaining a new understanding of these unusual systems.

Newswise: VLBA_Flowers_Building_OV40119_lr-2048x1366.jpg
Released: 13-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
Owens Valley: Radio Astronomy in the Land of Sky and Stream
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Though far to the west of the St. Croix antenna, the Owens Valley antenna has some similarities, in particular being in a remote location. The high mountains surrounding the valley mean that access to the region is only possible from the south, or through mountain passes. This also makes for a unique geography. To the south are the dry bed remains of Owens Lake, and further beyond is Death Valley. To the East are the White Mountains, which is home to the great bristlecone pine forest, and some of the oldest living trees in the world. Within the Methuselah Grove of this forest is hidden a particular tree that was seeded nearly 5,000 years ago.

Released: 13-Feb-2024 10:05 AM EST
Learning Shines Brightly at SuperKnova
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

SuperKnova is a project to provide learning opportunities in radio technology for students in a way that is inclusive and equitable. Originally conceived at the Radio Astronomy Imaging and Analysis Lab (RADIAL), SuperKnova is a collaboration between RADIAL, NRAO, and educators and students from across the country.

Newswise: Massive Gas Clouds Escape Center of Milky Way
Released: 10-Jan-2024 11:15 AM EST
Massive Gas Clouds Escape Center of Milky Way
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

The Green Bank Telescope has discovered over 250 gaseous clouds being blasted out of the center of the Milky Way into interstellar space. A decade ago, astronomers weren’t aware of this phenomenon. It took years of observations, and some surprising finds, to produce this latest result.

Newswise: Astronomers Accidentally Discover Dark Primordial Galaxy
Released: 8-Jan-2024 10:15 AM EST
Astronomers Accidentally Discover Dark Primordial Galaxy
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

While surveying hydrogen (HI) gas in Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies an astronomer made an unusual discovery.

Newswise: Mystery of Star Formation Revealed by Hearts of Molecular Clouds
7-Jan-2024 4:05 PM EST
Mystery of Star Formation Revealed by Hearts of Molecular Clouds
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

An international team of astronomers has revealed mysterious star formation at the far edge of the galaxy M83.



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