Usually, when driving from Colorado to southern California, we go south on I.25 to Albuquerque and take I.40 west to Flagstaff, Arizona and beyond.
Several years ago, following our urge to take the road 'less traveled,' we ventured a further 80 miles south from Albuquerque and turned west on US Route 60 from Socorro. This excellent two-lane highway goes through very scenic country, including the high plains of San Agustin.
Fifty miles from Socorro we saw several dozen large satellite dishes to the south of the highway. We assumed this was a high security area and probably closed to the public.
After doing a little research on the internet and on the New Mexico State Web site, we discovered we had passed what is known as a Very Large Array (VLA), an observatory used by astronomers and scientists from around the world for a wide range of scientific studies.
We also discovered that the facility is open to the public every day, so we decided to pay the VLA a visit at our next opportunity. This came on Sunday, June 15 when we were on our way to visit family on the west coast.
As we turned south off US Route 60, the VLA is 4 miles away. As one gets closer it becomes apparent just how huge these 27 giant antennae really are. (See photo no. 1) Each dish is 82 feet in diameter and weighs 230 tons. When pointed straight up the antennas are 94 feet high.
The panels are made of aluminum and are truly marvels of American ingenuity and technological genius. The dish panels are formed into parabolic surfaces accurate to 20 thousandths of an inch.
Each receives weak radio, or energy, waves from distant space and these waves are focused into receivers that are cooled to minus 427 degrees Fahrenheit. The signals are amplified several million times, converted to an intermediate frequency and carried to the main control building through a special buried transmission system.
There is a very interesting 30-minute self-guided walking tour at the main complex that is very well planned and which converts highly complex astrophysical science into every day language. Inside the main visitor building is a wonderful museum and 9-minute video describing what the observatory is used for and providing interesting information about energy waves, radio waves and plenty of other technically challenging stuff.
Objects studied commonly include quasars, pulsars, supernova, gamma ray bursts, radio-emitting stars, the sun, planets, black holes and so many things that are beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. This facility is a part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).
The 27 giant antennae are arrayed along the three arms of a Y-shape rail line, each of which is 13 miles long. The antennae can be moved by rail to distant points along this rail system.
The result is to be able achieve the effect of a single antenna with a diameter of 22 miles! We learned that the resolution of the VLA can be good enough to see a golf ball from a distance of 100 miles.
There is a great deal of interesting information on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very_Large_Array or
www.vla.nrao.edu/genpub/overview/
The attached photos may remind pop culture enthusiasts that the VLA was a major part of the 1997 Jodie Foster movie "Contact" which also starred Matthew McConaughey, James Woods and Tom Skerrit.
Our visit there reminded us that there are remarkable places to be seen and enjoyed by travelers if we just take a little extra time and explore.