At the VLA
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 6913
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Stacy knew that the antennae could be operated in any one of four
configurations,
from 36km across down to 1km across,
being moved as required on a special railroad. This was a major operation,
so it happened
only a few times a year. At least that information had been in her book,
but where
had she got those precise co-ordinates from? She was sure that the book
hadn't
gone into that degree of detail.
At the moment the array happened to be in its most compact configuration, so all the antennae came into view almost simultaneously. In the clear desert air, she first saw them some ten minutes before she finally pulled up in the Visitors' Centre car park. Stacy got out of her air-conditioned car, and the desert heat hit her with an almost physical force. Perhaps it was only that which made her feel dizzy for a moment, though she had a suspicion that the impact of the great dishes looming all around her had something to do with it. Shaking her head to clear it, she walked into the Visitors' Center. She was disappointed to find that the Center was unmanned, though there were free displays and instructions for a self-guided walking tour. There were one or two other visitors wandering about.
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JH (who went for the smallest configuration because it was the only one he could find pictures of)
1/8/2000 1:12:17 PM
Extending Enabled
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