Very Large Array (VLA) radio antenna, with the Sun casting an orange glow through a haze. The VLA, part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (N

---

Very Large Array (VLA) radio antenna, with the Sun casting an orange glow through a haze. The VLA, part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), consists of 27 radio antennas, each measuring 25 metres in diameter. Each parabolic dish collects incoming radio waves and focuses them onto a receiver. The signals from the 27 antennas are combined to make the array equivalent to a radio dish 36 kilometres across. The VLA, opened in 1980, is used to study astronomical objects such as radio galaxies, quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, and gamma ray bursts. Photographed on the Plains of San Agustin, New Mexico, USA.

---

Size: 3427px × 5140px
Photo credit: © KAJ R. SVENSSON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1, 2012, 21st, agustin, american, antenna, array, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, century, dish, glow, haze, hazy, large, mexico, national, nrao, observatory, observing, orange, parabolic, plains, radio, receiving, recording, san, seti, single, socorro, states, sun, sunlight, technological, technology, telescope, united, usa, vla