Very Long Baseline Array, Radio telescope network in Washington, United States
The Very Long Baseline Array is a network of ten radio telescopes distributed across the United States that work together as one astronomical instrument. Each station features a 25-meter parabolic antenna and a control building that receives and processes signals from space.
Construction of the system began in the late 1980s under the direction of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Full operations started in 1993 with all ten stations coordinated from a central control room in New Mexico.
The array contributes to astronomical education by providing scientists with data about distant galaxies, black holes, and other celestial phenomena.
The stations are located in remote areas to avoid interference from radio signals and often require a long drive to reach. The sites are usually not open to the public, but a few occasionally offer visitor days or information panels.
The signals from individual antennas are recorded on hard drives and transported to the headquarters, where they are synchronized using atomic clocks. This process allows the creation of images with a resolution roughly 50 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope.
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