Very Large Array

The VLA, or Very Large Array of radio telescopes, stands on the Plain of St Augustin, west of Soccorro, NM. I'd driven through but never taken the tour; Dave had never seen it at all.

The land around the VLA is rangeland. I looked hard for Oryx and other African antelopes, imported by a sportsman decades ago and supposedly fairly common, but saw none. However, the herd of pronghorn antelope on the road in was an excellent substitute.

The VLA self-guided tour is short but fun. You get to go pretty close to one of the telescopes. The little museum has some interesting exhibits, including a live feed from a small radio dish pointed at the sun (they were still working the bugs out of that exhibit).

Next: White Sands.

Southern Arizona and New Mexico
Akkana's Photo Page.
Shallow sky home

Mail Comments