1 minute read

The Very Large Array

Mysterious, bewildering, and strange, the Very Large Array complex may be an underrated destination due to one simple fact: it’s a collection of satellite dishes. However, one must behold the twenty-seven 240-ton, 82-foot-wide radio telescopes to fully understand their glory.

While these dishes scan the far reaches of the universe, reporting fascinating findings to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, viewers can gaze at their unbelievable size. Veterans of Roswell’s UFO museum may feel tingling in the back of their necks as they witness these twenty-seven machines in motion.

You can learn all about the Very Large Array’s role in astronomical discovery at its visitor center, located fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico. To grasp the dishes’ significance, arrange a guided tour of the facilities and expansive grounds well in advance. These guided talks explain what the Very Large Array has unveiled of the cosmic wonders beyond our planet.

This article is from: