A radio astronomy observatory in New Mexico consisting of 27 movable dish antennas that combine their signals to act as a single large radio telescope, used for research from black holes to the search for extraterrestrial radio signals.
Facts
Observatory TypeGround-based radio observatory 1 LocationSocorro County, New Mexico, United States 1 MeasuresCentimeter-wavelength radio waves 2 Operating PrincipleAperture-synthesis interferometry: the signals from its movable dish antennas are combined so the array acts as a single antenna of variable diameter 2 Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationVery Large Array, introductory sectionQuote, Very Large Array, introductory section
The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory in the southwestern United States built in the 1970s.
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationVery Large Array, Characteristics sectionQuote, Very Large Array, Characteristics section
the antennas can be physically relocated to a number of prepared positions, allowing aperture synthesis interferometry with up to 351 independent baselines: in essence, the array acts as a single antenna with a variable diameter.
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