October 7, 2007

October 7, 2007

From Socorro, NM we take to the back roads west an hour to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory-Very Large Array. That is a mouthful. Most people will recognize the huge radio antennas from the Jodie Foster movie “Contact”. The VLA consists of 27 antennas arrayed in a Y-shaped pattern 26 miles in diameter. The array is supposed to mimic a single antenna that large. Each antenna is on a rail so that they can be spread out for maximum resolution or moved closer for maximum sharpness. Unfortunately they are spread out right now lessening the impact of my photography.

We peruse the visitor center exhibits and then walk the self-guided tour alongside a couple of the antennas. We learn that radio telescopy was started in the backyard of a Wheaton, IL amateur engineer. The purpose of this observatory is not listening for extra-terrestrial life as in the movie but probing and photographing the structure of the universe. This radio telescope can delve deeper past dust clouds and nebulae than a normal light telescope can.

From the VLA we continue west for a couple hours thru pretty desolate pinon-juniper hills and ranchland before stopping for the night in the little town of Springerville, AZ. I am surprised how long a drive it is back to Tucson. Arizona and New Mexico are very big states.