The Very Large Array of Radio Telescopes
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
above pictured
VLA, celebrating its
twenty-second year of operation, is situated in
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.
