The Karl g. jansky Very Large Array By Casey Pidsadny

Design and physical specifications http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

Physical type The VLA consists of 27 radio telescope arrays positioned in a ‘Y’ shape forming an interferometric array These 27 telescopes work together to provide a higher resolution; The angular resolution is almost that of a telescope that would be as big as the area that the full 27 telescopes cover but does not collect as much light. http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

aperture 27 radio (dish) antenna’s http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

Resolution Because the 27 radio dishes can be moved and configured differently, the resolution and field of view of the VLA varies. The resolution varies between 0.2” and 0.004”. http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

Radio/optical composite of M51 using VLA http://images.nrao.edu/5 Xray/optical composite of M51 using Chandra http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2014/m51/

Observable wavelengths Capable of observing (radio) wavelengths between 0.6cm and 410cm or 50GHz to 73GHz

History Cas A. http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

Radio galaxy 3C31. http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

Date built The VLA was initially constructed between 1973 and 1980 and was later upgraded and renamed the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array starting 2011 and ongoing until about 2021. This upgrade increased its technical capacities by a factor of about 8000.

Socorro, new mexico, usa The VLA lies in the Plains of San Agustin, near Socorro. New Mexico because of its elevated location and how dry the area is. 34°04’43.5” N 107°37’05.8” W Elevation: 2124m

Mission? Nothing specific. The VLA was not built with a specific mission or project in mind. The VLA’s notable uses include: radio galaxies, quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, gamma ray bursts, radio-emitting stars, the solar system, astrophysical masers, and black holes.

Requesting time for use To request use of the VLA, one must submit a proposal online using the NRAO (National Radio Astronomy Observatory) website. A panel of qualified professionals will review the proposal based on scientific merit and technical feasibility.

Radio Galaxy Fornax A. http://www.vla.nrao.edu/

Important Uses The VLA has helped in many study areas of astronomy and has a wide range of uses, like radio galaxies, quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, gamma ray bursts, radio-emitting stars, the solar system, astrophysical masers, and black holes.

important discoveries The VLA helped hypothesize that there might be water on Mercury. Radar signals were sent to Mercury then collected by the VLA and show odd reflections in the images that resemble the reflection signals of water ice. Scientists think that there may be ice on Mercury's north pole where the Sun does not touch, as it is very cold.

Important discoveries The VLA was used to detect radio emissions coming from gamma ray bursts which helped rule out some theoretical models of gamma ray bursts. The VLA can very accurately detect gamma ray bursts and has helped a lot in this area of study.

Works cited National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 2014. Chandra Photo Album. Washington, DC: US. NASA. http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2014/m51/ National Radio Astronomy Observatory. 2000. The Discovery of Water Ice on Mercury. Charlottesville, VA: US. NRAO. http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2000/vla20/background/mercuryice/ National Radio Astronomy Observatory. 2000. Unraveling the Mysteries of Gamma Ray Bursts. Charlottesville, VA: US. NRAO. http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2000/vla20/background/grb/ National Radio Astronomy Observatory. 2016. An Overview of the VLA. Charlottesville, VA: US. NRAO. https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/vla/docs/manuals/oss2016A/intro/overview National Radio Astronomy Observatory. 2016. Gallery. Charlottesville, VA: US. NRAO. http://images.nrao.edu/5