Photo – Page 41 – National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Routine Maintenance at 82-feet

A fear of heights is not an option if you work on the engineering team at the Very Large Array. Here, an engineer rides a forklift 82 feet to the top of a VLA antenna feed for a routine inspection.

VLA’s Vibrant skies at dusk

Low clouds create a colorful sunset at the Very Large Array in New Mexico. A touch of blue sky is visible through the bottom of the red and orange clouds at dusk.

Judy Stanley, the Public Education Officer for the Very Large Array, stands on one of the 25-meter dishes. She develops and delivers tours of the VLA, creates STEM education program, and hosts events for the observatory in New Mexico.

The Wye of the VLA

An aerial view of the Very Large Array shows its wye formation on the plains of San Agustin in New Mexico. At over 7,000-feet elevation, this ancient lakebed provides the space needed to lay 40 miles of double-track rails required to extend the VLA’s Y-shape to give us its highest resolution capability.

Snowy Peaks Behind the VLA

Snow caps the mountain ranges that surround the Plains of San Agustin where the Very Large Array sits in central New Mexico.

Snowy Day at the VLA

The Very Large Array, in its most compact configuration, appears to huddle after a snowfall. In this position, any more snow that falls will glance off of the 25-meter dishes and not collect there to form ice and cause damage.

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
	Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.
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