May 17, 2010-- The Very Large Array (VLA) is a radio astronomy observatory and component of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) located on the desolate plains of San Augustin, New Mexico between Magdalena and Datil off of US60.
For the casual observer the VLA is a bunch of huge radar dishes in the middle of nowhere made famous by Jodie Foster in the movie Contact, for the more sophisticated astrophysicist, astronomer and scientist the VLA is one of the world's premier astronomical radio observatories.
The VLA consists of 27 radio antennas in a Y-shaped configuration where each antenna is 82 feet in diameter and together can give the resolution of an antenna 22 miles across and a sensitivity of a dish 422 feet in diameter...translation- together the VLA's can see things really far in space with great resolution.
For a more intelligent overview of the Very Large Array's visit
here.
