For the Scientifically inclined - I went by the VLA Radio Telescope today (Very Large Array) (Edited

[A HERETIC I AM]

I drove US Rte 60 from Phoenix to Clovis, NM today and that route takes you across the Plains of San Agustin in New Mexico. The VLA is laid out on this plain and is a massive facility.

I've been this way several times and have seen the dishes arranged in several ways, but never in this fashion.


This shot is looking North and the nearest dish is about 100 yards north of the road. The line of pedestals - dish positions - which make up this arm continue another 10 miles north of the road.



Looking the same way, without the truck in the way! There are 4 dishes positioned North of the road. This arrangement is roughly the third most compact. If the dishes were completely spread out, the furthest one would be, as I mentioned above, ten miles away. I've been by when they were in that configuration and I have been by when they were in their most compact arrangement. On one such occasion I was able to take the time to go to the visitor center and take the self guided tour. VERY interesting.



Looking South toward the intersection/center of the array. The center is 1.7 miles away from the camera. The other two arms, each just under 12 miles in length meet there. The small square cube looking building at center right is the garage/repair facility. There was a dish inside.

The device that moves the dishes is pretty interesting.

http://www.vla.nrao.edu/genpub/work/transporter.shtml

It operates on two parallel sets of standard gauge railroad track. The antenna pedestals are alongside the track. The transporter carries the dish out to the position and is lifted by hydraulics and the wheel truck are rotated 90 degrees. It then settles back down on tracks perpendicular to the main rails. The transporter then moves the dish over to the pedestals, lifts it up and sets it on its stand.

Edited to add these photos of the transporter found via Google search;





I have always been fascinated by machines and the VLA is, after all, one very large machine.




The three shots were taken from this spot on RTE 60 here

[XemaSab]

1. I was there two months ago!

It's VERY cool out there. :D

[denbot]

2. I went to school in near by Socorro N.M.

The operation center is next to my old campus (New Mexico Tech). Very cool stuff goes on there. BTW Next time you find yourself headed out that way, see if you can scrounge up a metal detector. That valley is one of the best places to look for meteors in the southwest.

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. Not much of a rock hound, but thanks for the tip! n/t

[Mopar151]

4. Way cool.... n/t