Knowra National Radio Astronomy Observatory National Radio Astronomy Observatory The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a U.S. research organization that operates radio telescopes, develops instrumentation, and supports astronomical research and education.
Very Large Array : A radio interferometer near Socorro, New Mexico, made from 27 movable antennas. NRAO operates this array, whose images have shaped research on galaxies, stars, and planets.
Radio interferometry : A technique that combines signals from separated radio antennas to measure fine detail in astronomical sources. Interferometry is the core method behind the VLA, VLBA, and ALMA.
National Science Foundation : A U.S. federal agency that supports research and education across science and engineering. The NSF funds NRAO and oversees its cooperative agreement with Associated Universities, Inc.
Frank Drake : An American astronomer who led early searches for extraterrestrial radio signals and formulated the Drake equation. Drake conducted Project Ozma at the Green Bank facility in 1960.
Pulsar : A rotating neutron star whose beams of radiation produce regular pulses detectable from Earth. Radio observatories such as NRAO's facilities made pulsar timing and population studies possible.
Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array : An international observatory of 66 antennas in Chile's Atacama Desert, observing millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. NRAO is a partner in operating ALMA and contributes instrumentation and scientific support.
Radio telescope : An instrument that detects radio waves from astronomical objects. NRAO designs, operates, or supports several major forms of radio telescope.
Associated Universities, Inc. : A nonprofit consortium of research universities that manages scientific facilities and programs. AUI established NRAO in 1956 and has operated it under agreement with the NSF.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell : A British astrophysicist who discovered the first radio pulsars as a graduate student in 1967. NRAO telescopes and expertise belong to the radio-astronomy community transformed by pulsar discovery.
Interstellar molecule : A molecule found in the gas and dust between stars, often detected through characteristic spectral lines. NRAO telescopes have detected many molecular species and mapped their distribution in space.
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