VLA

Green Bank Observatory was not the first radio observatory I've visited.

It was this one.

The Very Large Array, which in this picture looks rather small. Hinting at the immensity of the universe.

Unlike the Green Bank Observatory, this one had no restrictions on digital cameras. Cellphones needed to be turned off, although you could turn one on, in airplane mode, snap a picture, and then turn it off. I surmise these scopes are listening at different wavelengths.

No bus tour here, a walking tour instead. And we, that's Patty in her gray coat, were able to walk right up to one of the dishes in the array.

Another difference was that there was no 'radio quiet zone' here. Of course, this is pretty much the Middle of Nowhere, NM so there isn't the need for a quiet zone. At least not yet. And the array is situated in a large valley, the surrounding mountains blocking out much of the radio noise.

The worst source of interference is caused by a source I'm listening to as I type this, satellite radio. The dishes cannot be pointed within ten degrees of one of the satellites as the signal will overwhelm any astronomical source.

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We visited the VLA in December 2011. This was our first Christmas trip together. Our main destination was Bosque del Apache NWR,  to see the large flocks of overwintering birds. Maybe I'll blog about that someday ...