A Very Large Array of Radio Telescopes
Explanation:
Pictured above is one of the world's premiere radio astronomical
observatories: The
Very
Large Array (VLA). Each antenna dish is as big as a
house
(25 meters across) and mounted on
railroad tracks. The VLA consists
of 27 dishes - together capable of spanning the size of a city (35
kilometers). The
VLA
is the most sensitive
radio telescope ever, and, through
interferometry, can resolve a golf ball-sized radio source 150
kilometers away (0.04 arcsec). The
VLA
is continually making new
discoveries, including determining the
composition
of galaxies,
passing
comets,
quasars,
HII regions,
and
clusters of galaxies. The VLA is also
used to receive the
weak
radio signals broadcast from interplanetary
spacecraft. The VLA is located in
New Mexico, USA. A
significant
upgrade of VLA's capabilities is planned.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
