Very Large Array

Close-up of NRAO Very Large Array

The Very Large Array (VLA) is an astronomical radio observatory that consists of 27 radio antennas in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustin, fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico (USA). The observatory is part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).

Each antenna has a diameter of 27 meters. The antennae can be moved along the arms of a Y-shaped pattern, allowing interferometry with maximum baseline of 36 kilometers. The highest angular resolution that can be reached is about 0.05 arcseconds.

Related topics

• List of radio telescopes

• NRAO VLA - official site.

VLA is also a United States Navy acronym for the "Vertical Launch ASROC" antisubmarine missile system.