The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), the NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) have announced a partnership to develop a pathfinder for the proposed Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA). The new instrument will advance very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) technologies, enabling ultra-high-resolution radio observations for both astrophysics and precision astrometry, including maintenance of the International Celestial Reference Frame. The pathfinder will deploy antennas across existing VLBA sites and new locations in the United States, serving as a standalone facility while paving the way for the future 266-antenna ngVLA, planned to become the world’s premier radio observatory for centimetre-wavelength astronomy. Read the full pres release here.
Image (Credit): This image shows the first prototype ngVLA antenna, which recently tested its systems by observing and tracking the Crab Nebula, also known as Taurus A (3C144), the remnant of an exploded star. This composite image features astrophotography by Alin Sosnovic along with more detailed radio data of the Crab Nebula collected by the NSF VLA. Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/A.Sosnovici/M.Weiss.