Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have captured the first direct, high-resolution images of a magnetic field wrapped tightly around the outflow of gas streaming away from a forming star — evidence that solves a decades-old puzzle about how young stars sculpt the powerful jets that form them.
Recent News
A Trillion Mile Cosmic Stream of Gas Feeds GW Orionis
A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a partner, has captured a massive stream of gas—one trillion miles, or .2 light years long—feeding the young triple-star system GW Orionis.
NSF NRAO radio observations help rule out a relativistic jet in rare stellar explosion
Astronomers studying a rare stellar explosion first spotted as a brief burst of X-rays used radio observations to help show that the dying star did not produce the powerful jet often associated with gamma-ray bursts.
NRAO and GBO Saddened at Loss of Arecibo Telescope
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the Green Bank Observatory (GBO) are saddened by the announcement of the decommissioning of the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico due to recent and devastating structural damage. See the National Science Foundation’s full release here.
The 305-meter Arecibo radio telescope has a long and distinguished history of landmark contributions to astronomy and planetary science and often has been a valued partner with NRAO telescopes and the Green Bank Telescope in research projects. Its loss will be a blow to science.
The staff and facilities of NRAO and GBO stand ready to assist in filling the gap that this loss will create, and offer our best wishes to our colleagues who are affected by this development.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can any NRAO facilities or the Green Bank Telescope replace the Arecibo Telescope?
While some instruments of the NRAO and GBO can perform some of the Arecibo Telescope’s functions, none will be a total replacement for its capabilities. The Arecibo Telescope is irreplaceable.
Does the NRAO or GBO support the NSF’s move to decommission the telescope?
We defer to the engineers’ reports evaluating the devastating damage done to the telescope’s infrastructure and threats to staff safety, as shared in the NSF’s release.
Will the NRAO or GBO be providing support to the staff displaced by this event?
We encourage AO staff displaced by this loss to consider any of our current open opportunities with the NRAO or GBO.
###
Media Contact:
Dave Finley, Public Information Officer
[email protected]
(505) 241-9210
###
This news article was originally published on the NRAO website on November 19, 2020.
Recent News
Twisted Physics: Astronomers Solve 30-Year-Old Stellar Mystery
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have captured the first direct, high-resolution images of a magnetic field wrapped tightly around the outflow of gas streaming away from a forming star — evidence that solves a decades-old puzzle about how young stars sculpt the powerful jets that form them.
A Trillion Mile Cosmic Stream of Gas Feeds GW Orionis
A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a partner, has captured a massive stream of gas—one trillion miles, or .2 light years long—feeding the young triple-star system GW Orionis.
NSF NRAO radio observations help rule out a relativistic jet in rare stellar explosion
Astronomers studying a rare stellar explosion first spotted as a brief burst of X-rays used radio observations to help show that the dying star did not produce the powerful jet often associated with gamma-ray bursts.