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Image Release: Mysterious Phenomena in a Gigantic Galaxy-Cluster Collision

Image Release: Mysterious Phenomena in a Gigantic Galaxy-Cluster Collision

Researchers using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) have produced the most detailed image yet of a fascinating region where clusters of hundreds of galaxies are colliding, creating a rich variety of mysterious phenomena visible only to radio telescopes. The scientists took advantage of new VLA capabilities to make a "true color" radio...

Image Release: Venus, If You Will, as Seen in Radar with the GBT

Image Release: Venus, If You Will, as Seen in Radar with the GBT

From earthbound optical telescopes, the surface of Venus is shrouded beneath thick clouds made mostly of carbon dioxide. To penetrate this veil, probes like NASA’s Magellan spacecraft use radar to reveal remarkable features of this planet, like mountains, craters, and volcanoes. Recently, by combining the highly sensitive receiving capabilities...

Astronomers Catch Multiple-Star System in First Stages of Formation

Astronomers Catch Multiple-Star System in First Stages of Formation

For the first time, astronomers have caught a multiple-star system in the beginning stages of its formation, and their direct observations of this process give strong support to one of several suggested pathways to producing such systems. The scientists looked at a cloud of gas some 800 light-years from Earth, homing in on a core of gas that...

VLA Finds Unexpected “Storm” at Galaxy’s Core

VLA Finds Unexpected “Storm” at Galaxy’s Core

Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) found surprisingly energetic activity in what they otherwise considered a "boring" galaxy, and their discovery provides important insight on how supermassive black holes can have a catastrophic effect on the galaxies in which they reside. "It appears that a supermassive...