National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NSF NRAO
@thenrao.bsky.social
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The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation. #RadioAstronomy 📡 VLA, ALMA, VLBA, GBT, ngVLA 🔗 public.nrao.edu
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thenrao.bsky.social
Hi Bluesky! 👋 We are the NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO). #RadioAstronomy

Telescopes:
📡 Very Large Array (VLA)
📡 Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA)
📡 Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)
📡 Green Bank Telescope (GBT)
📡 Next Generation VLA (ngVLA)

🔗: public.nrao.edu
Photograph of the VLA telescope array. The silhouettes of the dishes can be seen against a colorful sunset sky.
thenrao.bsky.social
Dr. Jean Turner, who has been awarded the 2025 Jansky Lectureship, will deliver the 60th Annual Jansky Lecture, "Exploring the Dusty Origins of Star Clusters" :

📍Charlottesville, VA - October 30
📍Green Bank, WV - November 2
📍 Socorro, NM - November 21

More info: science.nrao.edu/science/jans...
Promotional graphic for the 60th Annual Jansky Lecture, titled 'Exploring the Dusty Origins of Star Clusters.' The poster includes an image of speaker Dr. Jean Turner as well as NRAO logos.
thenrao.bsky.social
SANTA FE - Come learn about the future of astronomy in New Mexico! 📡 #SantaFe

Join the NRAO at Santa Fe Community College this Wednesday for a discussion and Q&A session about the Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) project. #ngVLA

🗓️ Wed, October 8
⏰ 6:00 - 7:00 MDT
📍SFCC Lecture Hall #216
Promotional graphic for a Community Listening Session in Santa Fe about the Next Generation Very Large Array. The event takes place on October 8 at 6 PM at the Santa Fe Community College, Lecture Hall 216.
thenrao.bsky.social
See you there! #AAS247
aas.org
#AAS247 Don't miss out! Early registration and abstract submission for the 247th AAS meeting (4-8 January 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona) will close on Monday, 6 October. 🔭

1️⃣Register: https://ow.ly/sXXu50X2b7z
2️⃣ Submit abstracts: https://ow.ly/wCSp50X2b7v
thenrao.bsky.social
The Green Bank Observatory will host a virtual GBT Observer Training workshop from November 4-7. This will be a FULLY REMOTE training workshop, meant primarily for people who will observe with the GBT in the near future.

Application deadline: October 10.

greenbankobservatory.org/events/nov-2...
Promotional graphic for the Virtual GBT Observer Training Workshop scheduled for November 4-7, 2025, featuring an image of the large Green Bank Telescope in a forested landscape at dusk. Logos of NSF and AUI are displayed.
thenrao.bsky.social
NEW: NRAO to Outfit the VLBA with New Ultra Wideband Receivers

A major upgrade is coming to the NSF Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA) – state-of-the-art ultra wideband receivers capable of operating across the frequency range of 8 - 40 gigahertz (GHz).

#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #NRAO #VLBA
National Radio Astronomy Observatory to Outfit the VLBA with New Ultra Wideband Receivers - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is upgrading the NSF Very Long Baseline Array with new ultra wideband receivers spanning 8–40 GHz, expanding its scientific reach and enabling Ka-band observat...
public.nrao.edu
Reposted by National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NSF NRAO
thenrao.bsky.social
Ever wanted to experience the magnitude of the Very Large Array in-person? Now's your chance!

Please join us at the #VLA Fall Open House for a free day of tours and talks on Saturday, October 11.

Admission is free, but advance tickets are required: nraoepo.ticketapp.org/portal/produ...

#Astronomy
Promotional graphic for the free VLA Fall Open House  on Saturday, October 11 from 9 AM to 4 PM. The graphic features photos of the VLA telescopes and visitors against a dark purple background.
Reposted by National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NSF NRAO
eso.org
ESO @eso.org · Sep 2
Flashback: DYK? In 2015, ALMA received its first art exhibit: a golf ball of enormous proportions by artist Dagmara Wyskiel, displayed alongside the antennas on the Chajnantor Plateau.

Read More: www.eso.org/public/image...

🔭
📷 ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Pablo Carillo
A night-time photograph of a high-altitude observatory beneath a starry sky. Several large white radio telescope are visible on the right. Near the horizon, a glowing spherical art installation resembling a golf ball emits white light, contrasting with the dark landscape and sky.
Reposted by National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NSF NRAO
repgabevasquez.bsky.social
Fun fact: New Mexico is home to one of the world’s most important space research facilities. The Very Large Array is a resource for scientists around the world, helping them see into space and unlock cutting edge research that benefits all of us.
thenrao.bsky.social
Ever wanted to experience the magnitude of the Very Large Array in-person? Now's your chance!

Please join us at the #VLA Fall Open House for a free day of tours and talks on Saturday, October 11.

Admission is free, but advance tickets are required: nraoepo.ticketapp.org/portal/produ...

#Astronomy
Promotional graphic for the free VLA Fall Open House  on Saturday, October 11 from 9 AM to 4 PM. The graphic features photos of the VLA telescopes and visitors against a dark purple background.
thenrao.bsky.social
NEW: Brightest Ever Fast Radio Burst Allows Researchers To Identify Its Origin

The FRB, discovered using the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) and NASA's JWST, has been nicknamed RBFLOAT - Radio Brightest FLash Of All Time.

#Astronomy #FRB #FastRadioBurst
Brightest Ever Fast Radio Burst Allows Researchers To Identify Its Origin - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
An international team of astronomers have observed one of the brightest fast radio bursts (FRBs) ever detected—and pinpointed its...
public.nrao.edu
thenrao.bsky.social
Happy National Dog Day from the VLA! 🐕📡

Well-behaved pups are welcome in all outdoor public areas at the Very Large Array as long as they are kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet.

#NationalDogDay #VeryLargeArray #Astronomy
Photo of two dogs sitting in front of a large radio telescope at the Very Large Array. Photo of a person with a hat sitting and holding a leash of a large fluffy husky in front of a Very Large Array dish on a sunny day. Photo of two Corgis on leashes in front of a backdrop of large telescope dishes at the Very Large Array.
thenrao.bsky.social
Vote to bring NSF-Simons CosmicAI's panel “Revolutionizing Astronomy + AI with Next Generation Big Data” to SXSW!

Vote by:
💻 Registering for a SXSW account
❤️ Then clicking the heart

Open now til Aug 24: participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #CosmicAI
PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals
PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.
participate.sxsw.com
thenrao.bsky.social
NEW: Satellite Internet Meets Space Science: A Groundbreaking Solution for Spectrum Sharing

NSF NRAO and SpaceX join forces to reduce radio interference, paving the way for uninterrupted astronomical discoveries and national connectivity.

#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #SpectrumManagement #RFI
Satellite Internet Meets Space Science: A Groundbreaking Solution for Spectrum Sharing - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
A groundbreaking solution has been developed to address the growing challenge of radio interference from satellite constellations on sensitive...
public.nrao.edu
thenrao.bsky.social
NEW: NSF VLBA Peers Into the "Eye of Sauron" to Solve Cosmic Neutrino Mystery

VLBA radio observations reveal why a distant blazar appears sluggish yet blazes brightly – its powerful jet points almost directly at Earth, creating a "searchlight" effect.

#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #NRAO #VLBA #Blazar
NSF VLBA Peers Into the "Eye of Sauron" to Solve Cosmic Neutrino Mystery - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
NSF VLBA radio observations of PKS 1424+240, the "Eye of Sauron" blazar, reveal its jet is perfectly aligned with Earth, solving the cosmic neutrino mystery by explaining its intense high-energy emiss...
public.nrao.edu
thenrao.bsky.social
NEW: Astronomers (Using NSF VLA + VLBA) Catch Supermassive Black Hole in the Act of “Waking Up”

"This is like watching a sleeping giant wake up... It’s an incredibly rare opportunity to study the ‘before’ picture of black hole feedback.”

#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #VLA #VLBA #NRAO #BlackHole
Astronomers Catch Supermassive Black Hole in the Act of "Waking Up" - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Astronomers have witnessed a supermassive black hole awakening in galaxy cluster CHIPS 1911+4455, offering a rare glimpse into the early stages of black hole activity and its impact on galaxy evolutio...
public.nrao.edu
thenrao.bsky.social
NEW: Comet’s Water Holds Clues to Life on Earth

ALMA observations show that water from a comet (Halley-type 12P/Pons-Brooks) is strikingly similar to that found in Earth’s oceans, strengthening the theory that comets helped make our planet habitable.

#Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #ALMA #NRAO #Comet
Comet’s Water Holds Clues to Life on Earth - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
New research has uncovered compelling evidence that water from a comet is strikingly similar to that found in Earth’s...
public.nrao.edu
thenrao.bsky.social
NEW: ALMA Sheds Light on “the Cosmic Grapes”

Super high-resolution #ALMA and #JWST observations unveil unexpected details of rapid growth in a faint, newborn “grape-like” galaxy, similar to galaxies in the early universe following the Big Bang. 🍇

#RadioAstronomy #Astronomy #NRAO
The Universe’s Secret Harvest: ALMA Sheds Light on “the Cosmic Grapes” - National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Astronomers have discovered a remarkably clumpy rotating galaxy that existed just 900 million years after the Big Bang, shedding...
public.nrao.edu
thenrao.bsky.social
NEW: Green Bank Observatory Works with Local School to Allow WiFi in the “Quiet Zone”

The NSF Green Bank Observatory is entering a new era — allowing the use of WiFi (only at 2.4 GHz) at the Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, which sits next door to the NSF Green Bank Telescope.

#QuietZone #GBO
Green Bank Observatory Works with Local School to Allow WiFi in the “Quiet Zone”
The U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Observatory (NSF GBO) is entering a new era for the “Quiet Zone”— allowing the use of WiFi at the Green Bank Elementary and Middle School…
greenbankobservatory.org
Reposted by National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NSF NRAO
beebott.bsky.social
I think my favorite part was coming down into that valley and seeing the whole array spread out before us! Great informative tour that we could take at our own pace, too. Getting up close to one of the dishes was the best part of the tour!
Reposted by National Radio Astronomy Observatory - NSF NRAO
beebott.bsky.social
Hi @thenrao.bsky.social! We had fun visiting you a couple weeks ago!
One of the VLA dishes facing left. Me making an excited and silly face with one of the VLA dishes in the background. Scenic view of many of the 27 dishes in the Very Large Array with partly cloudy sky and ridge of mountains in the distance. The best and scariest snake warning sign! It says CAUTION Watch out for snakes with a drawing of a rattlesnake rattling its tail and fangs out ready to strike.
thenrao.bsky.social
We 💙 that moment when the dishes peek out and become visible on the horizon as you're driving!
thenrao.bsky.social
Radio #ImageoftheWeek 📡 Construction of the first NSF Very Long Baseline Array (NSF VLBA) antenna - Pie Town, NM - circa 1986.

See more VLBA photos from the Archives: nrao.edu/archives/col...

📸 Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO

#Throwback #Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #VLBA #VeryLongBaselineArray #NRAO
Old photo showing the first VLBA antenna construction in 1986. A partially built antenna and a large crane stand out against the blue sky. Close-up photo of the first VLBA antenna construction in 1986. The completed frame of the dish stands out against a blue sky. Workers, who appear very small compared to the large scale of the dish, install panels on the dish's surface. Old photo of the first VLBA antenna construction in 1986. Some of the frame is constructed while other pieces sit on the ground. The sky behind the antenna is blue and filled with fluffy white clouds.
thenrao.bsky.social
Girls will be like "I needed this" and it's literally just skies dark enough to see all the stars ✨

(It's us, we're the girls)

📍 Very Large Array - New Mexico
📸 Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/Bettymaya Foott

#Astrophotography #Astronomy #RadioAstronomy #VeryLargeArray #VLA #VisitVLA #NRAO
Astrophotography image of a VLA radio telescope under a starry sky with the Milky Way, set against a horizon glowing with the light of a distant sunset.
thenrao.bsky.social
Thanks for visiting! What was your favorite part? 📡💙