Scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)— in which the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a partner— to study planet formation have made the first-ever detection of gas in a circumplanetary disk. What’s more, the detection also suggests the presence of a very young exoplanet.
Tag: National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Out With a Bang: Explosive Neutron Star Merger Captured for the First Time in Millimeter Light
Scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have for the first time recorded millimeter-wavelength light from a fiery explosion caused by the merger of a neutron star with another star.

AUI and NRAO Announce 2022 NAC Bridge Scholarship Recipients
Six NAC alums have accepted offers from outstanding graduate programs around the country. Each will receive a $5,000 AUI Board of Trustees NAC Bridge Scholarship Award, with AUI and NRAO’s congratulations and best wishes for a smooth start to an exciting new chapter of their lives.
Astronomers Reveal First Image of the Black Hole at the Heart of Our Galaxy
At simultaneous press conferences around the world, including at a National Science Foundation-sponsored press conference at the US National Press Club in Washington, D.C., astronomers have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. This result provides overwhelming evidence that the object is indeed a black hole and yields valuable clues about the workings of such giants, which are thought to reside at the center of most galaxies. The image was produced by a global research team called the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration, using observations from a worldwide network of radio telescopes.
Featured Video: Why Hydrogen Tells Us the Story of the Universe
Join Summer Ash from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory to learn why astronomers are so interested in hydrogen.
Study of Young Chaotic Star System Reveals Planet Formation Secrets
A team of scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to study the young star Elias 2-27 have confirmed that gravitational instabilities play a key role in planet formation, and have for the first time directly measured the mass of protoplanetary disks using gas velocity data, potentially unlocking one of the mysteries of planet formation.