Very Large Array
Radio Telescope

 

Very Large Array dishes dot the San Agustin Plains in West Central New Mexico. On March 31, 2012, the array was renamed the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, after the discoverer of radio waves emanating from the Milky Way galaxy in 1931.

Karl Jansky subsequently became one of the founding fathers of radio astronomy.  Recent upgrades to the array replaced 1970s-era electronics with state-of-the-art receiving and processing equipment.

~Joseph T. Page II
New Mexico Space Trail


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Official Website: National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Active: Since April 1973, upgrade completed 2012
GPS Coordinates: 34°04′43.497″N, 107°37′05.819″W
Getting There: The Very Large Array and VLA Visitor Center is located 50 miles west of Socorro, New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, on U.S. Highway 60. From U.S. Highway 60, look for Mile Marker 93. Turn South on NM highway 52. Signs will point you to the VLA Visitor Center.
Hours of Operation: 30 minute, Guided Tours on the first Saturday of each month at 11:00a.m., 1:00p.m., and 3:00p.m.
Cost: Free