We left ABQ this morning and travelled south on I-25 for 85 miles to Socorro where we turned west onto Highway 60 toward the Arizona border.
There was interesting scenery to observe.
Forty miles west of Socorro, after cutting past the surreal Sawtooth Mountains and endless juniper hills, we reached the flat Plains of San Agustin.
Coming down the hill to cross the Plains of San Agustin, a dry lake bed.
Out on the Plains, 40 miles from Socorro, 27 huge antenna dishes (each weighing 230 tons) together comprise a single superpowered telescope - the Very Large Array Radio Telescope. They move along railroad tracks, reconfiguring the layout as needed to study the outer limits of the universe. To match this resolution, a regular telescope would have to be 22 miles wide. Not only has the VLA increased our understanding of such celestial phenomena as black holes, space gases and radio emissions, but it's appeared in movies including Contact, Armageddon and Independence Day. They are unbelievably cool!
True story - we have been watching the original 1980s Cosmos series, with Carl Sagan, and last night the segment was on distant galaxies and what we know about them. Believe it or not, there was Carl in New Mexico at the VLA. Fate!!
Read more about the VLA here -
Approaching the VLA installation and Visitor Center.
This was a surprise outing for Mr. Spock. As you can imagine, he was very interested.
While we were standing under this one, it began to change direction, but very quietly. They are so finely tuned that I had to get Frederick's attention so he could watch it turn.
This sculpture in front of theVisitor Center is in the shape of a "y", which is the configuration of the tracks along which the telescopes are moved.
Mr. Spock was also interested in see the Bracewell Radio Sundial.
The shadow was right on...
2 o'clock at the spring equinox. (It was, in fact, 3 o'clock by my watch, but that because daylight savings time adds one hour to the solar time.)
We also walked out past the railroad tracks to the...
Antenna Assembly Building, also known as "the Barn". There are 27 antennas deployed and a 28th one can be in for repairs or adjustments.
Red transporter that moves the antennas along the tracks.
Sign on the road back to the highway.
Rain clouds were threatening all afternoon.
Reminds us a bit of City of Rocks.
Tonight we are in Pie Town, NM - how could we resist! Pie Town has a population of 186, a tiny town 40 miles beyond the VLA. It is located on the Continental Divide at 7,778 ft.
We are staying at the Pie Town RV Park where this striking Bluebird greeted us.
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