National Radio
Astronomy Observatory
NRAO Home >
Socorro (AOC)
|
Current Events
|
Public Outreach:
|
| |
Frequently Asked Questions
|
| |
Press Releases
|
| |
Introduction to Radio Astronomy
|
|
For Visitors:
|
| |
Official Visitors
|
| |
Tourists
|
Very Large Array
VLA Expansion Project (EVLA)
Very Long Baseline Array
Assistant Director's Page
Updated 2012-Jun-22
© AUI, Inc., Washington, D.C.
NRAO's Privacy Policy
|
You have reached a page which is no longer being maintained and
contains obsolete information. For up-to-date information on the
various NRAO telescopes we recommend you start at the main NRAO science page.
Socorro, New Mexico
|
|
Socorro, New Mexico, is the home of NRAO operations in New Mexico.
Located on the campus of
New Mexico Tech,
the Array Operations Center
houses scientific, engineering, technical, computer and support staff
for both the Very Large Array and the Very Long Baseline Array. It includes
the control center and correlator for VLBA observations and provides
space for the
Atacama Large Millimeter Array project.
The
Very Large Array (VLA),
one of the world's premier astronomical radio
observatories, consists of 27 radio antennas in a Y-shaped
configuration on the Plains of San Agustin 80 km (50 miles) miles west of
Socorro, New Mexico. Each antenna is 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter.
The data from the antennas is combined electronically to give the
resolution of an antenna 36km (22 miles) across, with the sensitivity
of a dish 130 meters (426.5 feet) in diameter.
|
Twilight at The Very Large Array, near Socorro, New Mexico
|
|
The
Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA)
is a system of 10 radio
telescopes controlled remotely from the Array Operations Center in
Socorro, New Mexico. The antennas are spread across the United States
from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands to Mauna Kea on the island of
Hawaii, making it the world's largest dedicated, full-time
astronomical instrument.
|
VLBA Antenna at Owens Valley, California
|
|