NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a United States National Science Foundation facility that operates large radio astronomy facilities to support research, education, and public outreach. Established in 1956, NRAO provides observing time, technical support, and data analysis resources to the global astronomical community. The organization is headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, and runs major facilities at Green Bank, West Virginia; near Socorro, New Mexico; and the Very Long Baseline Array network across the United States and beyond, with collaborative involvement in international projects such as ALMA in Chile.

NRAO’s facilities include the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), a configuration of 27 moveable 25-meter antennas in a Y-shaped layout that enables high-resolution imaging across a wide range of radio frequencies. The Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia is the world’s largest fully steerable single-dish radio telescope, with a 100-meter diameter. The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) consists of ten antennas distributed across North America and the Caribbean, performing high-precision interferometry to achieve exceptional angular resolution.

In addition to its own facilities, NRAO participates in international collaborations such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, contributing United States leadership and operations as part of a global partnership with ESO, NAOJ, and Chile. NRAO also maintains data archives, supports education and public outreach, and promotes open access to radio astronomical data for researchers, students, and educators worldwide.