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.
Recent News
ALMA and the Event Horizon Telescope: Moving Towards a Close-Up of a Black Hole and its Jets
An international research team has shown that the Event Horizon Telescope will be able to make exciting images of a supermassive black hole and its jets in the galaxy NGC 1052. The measurements, made with interconnected radio telescopes, also confirm strong magnetic fields close to the black hole’s edge.
Black Hole Explorer Hopes to Reveal New Details of Supermassive Black Holes
Anew agreement between the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) will help the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) take its next steps – into space.
OCEAN Kids vs. The Nurdles
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New Interactive Audio-Course on Nurdles in Development
Nurdles are small pellets used to make almost all plastic products and they are the second largest source of microplastic pollution globally.
You may have never heard of them, but they have surrounded you and your community. Nurdles are small pellets used to make almost all plastic products and they are the second largest source of microplastic pollution globally. OCEAN Kids brings together the expertise of Associated Universities Inc. (AUI), Tumble Science Podcast for Kids and the citizen science project Nurdle Patrol to create a new interactive citizen-science educational audio course on nurdles for students in grades 3-5.
“Each year an estimated 445,970 tons of nurdles wash up on beaches and riverbanks and can also be found near storm drains and freight train lines,” said Jace Tunell, founder of the Nurdle Patrol and director of community engagement at Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “We’ve been working with communities, scientists and policy makers over the last six years to locate nurdles, remove them from the environment and raise awareness of the issue. We are excited to increase awareness through OCEAN Kids!”
Through funding provided by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), OCEAN Kids is creating an interactive audio-course about microplastics in their communities and around the world. Microplastics are a critical issue students can explore where they live, coastal or not.
“AUI and Tumble Media continue to develop new and creative ways to engage young learners,” said Sara Robberson Lentz, a STEM education officer at AUI and co-creator at Tumble Media. “We reach broad and diverse communities through accessible audio content and conduct research to understand the impact this relatively new media creates.”
This project seeks to raise awareness about microplastic pollution by immersing children in a journey of discovery, empathy and action. OCEAN Kids will be a standards-aligned audio course designed to increase students’ science literacy and interaction with their communities. This learner-centered audio course will be freely available online. It launches young listeners on a mission to solve problems through tinkering, investigating, argumentation and communication of core concepts. Students will be empowered to explore their own environments and come up with collaborative solutions to plastic pollution problems facing their communities.
About AUI
AUI is an independent, not-for-profit corporation founded in 1946 that specializes in designing, building and managing cutting-edge research facilities and the development and implementation of innovative approaches to education, outreach and workforce development. Currently, AUI manages two U.S.-funded research and development centers: The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the Green Bank Observatory (GBO). NRAO is the North American partner in the management of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. In addition, NRAO includes the Very Large Array (VLA), and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), and GBO is home to the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope.
Recent News
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.
ALMA and the Event Horizon Telescope: Moving Towards a Close-Up of a Black Hole and its Jets
An international research team has shown that the Event Horizon Telescope will be able to make exciting images of a supermassive black hole and its jets in the galaxy NGC 1052. The measurements, made with interconnected radio telescopes, also confirm strong magnetic fields close to the black hole’s edge.
Black Hole Explorer Hopes to Reveal New Details of Supermassive Black Holes
Anew agreement between the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) will help the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) take its next steps – into space.