The Very Large Array Turns Twenty
Explanation:
The most photogenic array of
radio telescopes
in the world has also
been one of the most productive.
Each of the 27
radio telescopes in
the
Very Large Array
(VLA) is the size of a
house and can
be moved on train tracks.
The
VLA, celebrating its
twentieth year of operation,
is
pictured above
in a compact formation in front of
Tres Montosas,
New Mexico,
USA.
The
VLA has been used
to discover
water on planet Mercury,
radio-bright coronae
around ordinary stars,
micro-quasars in our Galaxy,
gravitationally-induced
Einstein rings around distant galaxies,
and
radio counterparts to cosmologically
distant gamma-ray bursts.
The vast size of the
VLA has allowed
astronomers to study the
details of super-fast cosmic
jets, and even
map the center of our
Galaxy.
An
upgrade of the VLA
is
being
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.
