Radio days: VLBA turns on.Radio astronomy radio astronomy, study of celestial bodies by means of the electromagnetic radio frequency waves they emit and absorb naturally. Radio Telescopes will reach a milestone on Aug. 20 when the Very Long Baseline Array The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) is a system of ten radio telescopes controlled remotely from the Array Operations Center in Socorro, New Mexico (USA) by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. (VLBA VLBA Very Long Baseline Array (radio telescope) VLBA Victorian Ladies' Bowling Association (Australia) VLBA Vans Leave Barn At VLBA Very Large Business Application VLBA Virginia Licensed Beverage Association ), the world's largest astronomical instrument, begins formal operation. Featuring 10 receivers spread across 5,000 miles of U.S. territory and working as a single radio telescope radio telescope: see radio astronomy. radio telescope Combination of radio receiver and antenna, used for observation in radio and radar astronomy. , the VLBA has the ability to discern radio sources as small as the letters on this page from a distance of 3,000 miles. The network of telescopes has been under construction since 1986. Astronomers made their first observations with the completed system on May 29, when they examined a nearby star-forming region of our galaxy. |
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