Newswise News from National Radio Astronomy Observatory display Latest news from National Radio Astronomy Observatory on Newswise en-us Copyright 2024 Newswise Newswise News from National Radio Astronomy Observatory 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif A Cosmic Chemical Breakthrough: Astronomers Discover New Building Blocks for Complex Organic Matter /articles/a-cosmic-chemical-breakthrough-astronomers-discover-new-building-blocks-for-complex-organic-matter/?sc=rsin /articles/a-cosmic-chemical-breakthrough-astronomers-discover-new-building-blocks-for-complex-organic-matter/?sc=rsin Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:00:00 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory ALMA Detects Hallmark "Wiggle" of Gravitational Instability in Planet-Forming Disk /articles/alma-detects-hallmark-wiggle-of-gravitational-instability-in-planet-forming-disk/?sc=rsin /articles/alma-detects-hallmark-wiggle-of-gravitational-instability-in-planet-forming-disk/?sc=rsin Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:00:51 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Astronomers, Satellite Internet Provider Develop New System to Share the Sky /articles/astronomers-satellite-internet-provider-develops-new-system-to-share-the-sky/?sc=rsin /articles/astronomers-satellite-internet-provider-develops-new-system-to-share-the-sky/?sc=rsin Fri, 09 Aug 2024 08:00:00 EST 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? National Radio Astronomy Observatory Plasma Bubbles and the "Engine" of Fast Radio Bursts /articles/plasma-bubbles-and-the-8220-engine8221-of-fast-radio-bursts/?sc=rsin /articles/plasma-bubbles-and-the-8220-engine8221-of-fast-radio-bursts/?sc=rsin Thu, 08 Aug 2024 15:05:36 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Precision Measurements Offer Clues to Magnetar's Cosmic Origin /articles/precision-measurements-offer-clues-to-magnetar-s-cosmic-origin/?sc=rsin /articles/precision-measurements-offer-clues-to-magnetar-s-cosmic-origin/?sc=rsin Thu, 08 Aug 2024 15:05:03 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Telescope Tag-Team Discovers Galactic Cluster's Bizarre Secrets /articles/telescope-tag-team-discovers-galactic-cluster8217-s-bizarre-secrets/?sc=rsin /articles/telescope-tag-team-discovers-galactic-cluster8217-s-bizarre-secrets/?sc=rsin Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:05:03 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory ALMA Observations Reveal New Insights into Planet Formation in Binary Star Systems /articles/alma-observations-reveal-new-insights-into-planet-formation-in-binary-star-systems/?sc=rsin /articles/alma-observations-reveal-new-insights-into-planet-formation-in-binary-star-systems/?sc=rsin Mon, 10 Jun 2024 11:15:00 EST At the 244th American Astronomical Society meeting, researchers presented groundbreaking findings on planet formation in circumstellar disks around young binary stars National Radio Astronomy Observatory Invisible Realms Revealed: Radio Technology Expands Frontiers of Astronomy and Medicine /articles/invisible-realms-revealed-radio-technology-expands-frontiers-of-astronomy-and-medicine/?sc=rsin /articles/invisible-realms-revealed-radio-technology-expands-frontiers-of-astronomy-and-medicine/?sc=rsin Wed, 05 Jun 2024 08:00:00 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Orion's Erupting Star System Reveals Its Secrets /articles/orion-s-erupting-star-system-reveals-its-secrets/?sc=rsin /articles/orion-s-erupting-star-system-reveals-its-secrets/?sc=rsin Mon, 29 Apr 2024 08:00:00 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Stellar Explosions and Cosmic Chemistry /articles/stellar-explosions-and-cosmic-chemistry/?sc=rsin /articles/stellar-explosions-and-cosmic-chemistry/?sc=rsin Mon, 01 Apr 2024 14:05:15 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Broadband Will Bring High-Speed Internet Connectivity to the National Radio Quiet Zone /articles/broadband-will-bring-high-speed-internet-connectivity-to-the-national-radio-quiet-zone/?sc=rsin /articles/broadband-will-bring-high-speed-internet-connectivity-to-the-national-radio-quiet-zone/?sc=rsin Mon, 18 Mar 2024 08:00:00 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Astronomers & Engineers Use a Grid of Computers at a National Scale to Study the Universe 300 Times Faster /articles/astronomers-038-engineers-use-a-grid-of-computers-at-a-national-scale-to-study-the-universe-300-times-faster/?sc=rsin /articles/astronomers-038-engineers-use-a-grid-of-computers-at-a-national-scale-to-study-the-universe-300-times-faster/?sc=rsin Wed, 06 Mar 2024 06:05:17 EST 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? National Radio Astronomy Observatory Can Astronomers Use Radar to Spot a Cataclysmic Asteroid? /articles/can-astronomers-use-radar-to-spot-a-cataclysmic-asteroid/?sc=rsin /articles/can-astronomers-use-radar-to-spot-a-cataclysmic-asteroid/?sc=rsin Fri, 16 Feb 2024 10:00:00 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Astronomers Discover Jupiter-sized Objects Drawn into Each Other's Orbit /articles/astronomers-discover-jupiter-sized-objects-drawn-into-each-other-s-orbit/?sc=rsin /articles/astronomers-discover-jupiter-sized-objects-drawn-into-each-other-s-orbit/?sc=rsin Tue, 13 Feb 2024 10:05:35 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Owens Valley: Radio Astronomy in the Land of Sky and Stream /articles/owens-valley-radio-astronomy-in-the-land-of-sky-and-stream/?sc=rsin /articles/owens-valley-radio-astronomy-in-the-land-of-sky-and-stream/?sc=rsin Tue, 13 Feb 2024 10:05:28 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Learning Shines Brightly at SuperKnova /articles/learning-shines-brightly-at-superknova/?sc=rsin /articles/learning-shines-brightly-at-superknova/?sc=rsin Tue, 13 Feb 2024 10:05:18 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Massive Gas Clouds Escape Center of Milky Way /articles/massive-gas-clouds-escape-center-of-milky-way/?sc=rsin /articles/massive-gas-clouds-escape-center-of-milky-way/?sc=rsin Wed, 10 Jan 2024 11:15:23 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Astronomers Accidentally Discover Dark Primordial Galaxy /articles/astronomers-accidentally-discover-dark-primordial-galaxy/?sc=rsin /articles/astronomers-accidentally-discover-dark-primordial-galaxy/?sc=rsin Mon, 08 Jan 2024 10:15:44 EST While surveying hydrogen (HI) gas in Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies an astronomer made an unusual discovery. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Mystery of Star Formation Revealed by Hearts of Molecular Clouds /articles/mystery-of-star-formation-revealed-by-hearts-of-molecular-clouds/?sc=rsin /articles/mystery-of-star-formation-revealed-by-hearts-of-molecular-clouds/?sc=rsin Mon, 08 Jan 2024 10:15:00 EST An international team of astronomers has revealed mysterious star formation at the far edge of the galaxy M83. National Radio Astronomy Observatory Early Evolution of Planetary Disk Structures Seen for the First Time /articles/early-evolution-of-planetary-disk-structures-seen-for-the-first-time/?sc=rsin /articles/early-evolution-of-planetary-disk-structures-seen-for-the-first-time/?sc=rsin Sun, 07 Jan 2024 19:05:13 EST 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. National Radio Astronomy Observatory