Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array

The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array is a radio telescope facility in Socorro County, New Mexico, where white dish antennas sit spread across the Plains of San Agustin. The arrangement forms a Y pattern with three arms reaching across several kilometers of flat desert terrain.

The facility began as a National Radio Astronomy Observatory project in the mid-1970s and grew over several years. After completion in the early 1980s, it was later named for Karl Guthe Jansky, a pioneer of radio astronomy.

Scientists at the facility conduct research on black holes, galaxy formations, pulsars, and contribute to the extensive NRAO VLA Sky Survey project.

A visitor center provides information about radio astronomy and allows self-guided walks around the grounds. The site sits far from towns in the high desert of New Mexico, where clear weather and low light interference support observations.

Each antenna travels on railway tracks and can be repositioned for different research projects. This mobility lets the facility adapt to changing observation tasks without building new equipment.

Location: Socorro County

Inception: 1980

Elevation above the sea: 2,124 m

Diameter: 11,100 m

Operator: National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Part of: NRAO VLA Sky Survey

Website: https://science.nrao.edu/facilities/vla

GPS coordinates: 34.07875,-107.61773

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:56