Using data from the National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array, an international team of astronomers has for the first time detected circular polarization in radio emission originating from a massive protostar, IRAS 18162-2048 — unveiling fresh clues about the cosmic forces shaping our universe.
Recent News
Space’s Spinning Enigma: A ‘Unicorn’ Object Defies Astrophysics
Researchers have identified an exceptionally unusual cosmic object known as a Long Period Radio Transient (LPT), named CHIME J1634+44.
Astronomers Discover Massive Molecular Cloud Hidden in Milky Way
In a new study published in the Astrophysical Journal, researchers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Telescope (NSF GBT) have peered into a molecular cloud known as M4.7-0.8, nicknamed the Midpoint cloud. Their observations have revealed a dynamic region bustling with activity, including potential sites of new star formation.
Unusual stellar nurseries near our galaxy’s center puzzle scientists
These images are made from data from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Herschel Space Observatory. Image credit: J. De Buizer (SETI) / SOFIA / Spitzer / Herschel
New research led by Dr. James De Buizer at the SETI Institute and Dr. Wanggi Lim at IPAC at Caltech revealed surprising results about the rate at which high-mass stars form in the galactic center of the Milky Way. The researchers based their study primarily on observations from NASA’s now-retired SOFIA airborne observatory, and using data from the U.S. National Science Foundation Very Large Array archive, and focuses on three star-forming regions—Sgr B1, Sgr B2, and Sgr C—located at the heart of the galaxy.
This science was presented at the 246th American Astronomical Society Conference in Anchorage, Alaska on Monday, June 9, 2025, 2:15 PM AK. You can read the full release from SETI.
About NRAO
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
This news article was originally published on the NRAO website on June 13, 2025.
Recent News
Groundbreaking Magnetic Field Discovery Near Massive Protostar
Using data from the National Science Foundation’s Very Large Array, an international team of astronomers has for the first time detected circular polarization in radio emission originating from a massive protostar, IRAS 18162-2048 — unveiling fresh clues about the cosmic forces shaping our universe.
Space’s Spinning Enigma: A ‘Unicorn’ Object Defies Astrophysics
Researchers have identified an exceptionally unusual cosmic object known as a Long Period Radio Transient (LPT), named CHIME J1634+44.
Astronomers Discover Massive Molecular Cloud Hidden in Milky Way
In a new study published in the Astrophysical Journal, researchers using the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Telescope (NSF GBT) have peered into a molecular cloud known as M4.7-0.8, nicknamed the Midpoint cloud. Their observations have revealed a dynamic region bustling with activity, including potential sites of new star formation.