Very long baseline array
The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) is a radio interferometer with which radio observations of astronomical objects with the highest angular resolution can be obtained using the VLBI method .
The ten antennas of the VLBA, each 25 m in diameter and 240 tons in weight, are distributed over ten locations in the USA :
- Mauna Kea Observatory , Hawaii
- Owens Valley Radio Observatory , California
- Brewster , Washington
- North Liberty , Iowa
- Hancock , New Hampshire
- Kitt Peak National Observatory , Arizona
- Pie Town , New Mexico
- Fort Davis , Texas
- Los Alamos , New Mexico
- St. Croix , US Virgin Islands
The greatest distance between these locations is 8611 km. The antennas have receivers for ten frequency ranges between 1.2 and 96 GHz . Due to the long baselines between the locations, the VLBA achieves an angular resolution of sometimes less than a thousandth of an arc second, depending on the frequency.
Construction of the VLBA began in 1986. The VLBA was inaugurated in 1993 and is operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory of the USA. The head office is in Socorro , at the location of the Very Large Array .
Web links
Coordinates: 19 ° 48 ′ 4 ″ N , 155 ° 27 ′ 19 ″ W.