Radio Telescopes

The Very Large Array is a collection of parabolic dish antennas, located near Socorro, New Mexico. The 27 antennas are attached to a system of Y-shaped tracks; each track is 21 km (13 mi) in length. The individual signals from each telescope are combined into one high-resolution image, making the array the world's largest radio telescope. Radio telescopes detect electromagnetic radiation from space at wavelengths ranging from about 1 mm (0.04 in) to more than 1 km (0.6 mi). Since radio telescopes are sensitive only to electromagnetic radiation with a relatively long wavelength, the resolution (ability to distinguish detail) of a single instrument is low. However, when signals from a group of telescopes pointing at the same object are combined, resolution is dramatically improved.

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Radio Astronomy

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