The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory located in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, ~50 miles west of Socorro.

What kind of light does the VLA detect?

Answer: The VLA, and all telescopes that operate at radio wavelengths, collect information from the part of the electromagnetic spectrum which corresponds to radio frequencies. Recall that “light” also comes from that same electromagnetic spectrum, but from a higher-frequency end of this spectrum of energy.

What is the purpose of the VLA?

The VLA is a multi-purpose instrument designed to allow investigations of many astronomical objects, including radio galaxies, quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, gamma-ray bursts, radio-emitting stars, the sun and planets, astrophysical masers, black holes, and the hydrogen gas that constitutes a large portion of ...