The NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) prototype antenna has achieved “first light,” successfully conducting its first astronomical observations independently and together with the NSF Very Large Array in New Mexico.
This milestone marks the transition from construction to scientific testing for the prototype, which is validating the design of the proposed 244-antenna ngVLA array planned across North America. Once completed, the ngVLA is expected to deliver ten times the sensitivity and spatial resolution of current leading radio observatories at similar wavelengths. Read more here.
Image Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/A.Sosnovic/M.Weiss