APOD: 2020 October 9 - The Very Large Array at Moonset

Good Red Friday morning, Rallypoint. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is titled "The Very Large Array at Moonset." What is the Very Large Array (VLA)? Recall that part of the non-visible eletromagnetic spectrum consists of radio waves. Radio astronomy is the study of this phenomenon as it is observed in the universe. The VLA is part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).

There are 28 (27 active and one spare) radio telescopes that make up the VLA, and each one is mounted in an 82 foot-diameter dish armed with eight receivers for data collection. The array of telescopes is located on the desert plains northwest of Socorro, New Mexico. A network of railroad tracks is built around the site, allowing the 230-ton telescopes to be reconfigured for different projects.

The VLA is 40 years old this year (first deployed in 1980). It was used to discover water on planet Mercury, locate micro-quasars in our Galaxy, identify gravitationally-induced Einstein rings around distant galaxies (where gravitational forces are sufficient to bend light waves), and map the center of our own Milky Way. If you are looking for a good rainy Saturday activity (is Hurricane Delta heading your way?), check out the online celebration of the VLA at 40. You can register to attend at https://public.nrao.edu/event/vla-virtual-tours-2020-10-10/.