Rain falling on the western side of the Sacramento Mountains drains into the Tularosa Basin via many washes, one of which is pictured here. These washes undercut US-54, the main road between Alamogordo and northern New Mexico, as well as the railroad line that parallels the highway. Consequently there are numerous small bridges along the way that allow for a decent photo opportunity. I actually got down into the wash for this one, though.
Monthly Archives: January 2010
VLA Radio Telescopes
The VLA consists of 27 separate dish antennas each measuring 82 feet in diameter. There are nine antennas on each of the three tracks that radiate out from the center of the array in a “Y” pattern. Each track is 21 kilometers long which allows for the array to grow and shrink in size (thereby adjusting resolution) depending on the requirements of the astronomers currently using the facility. The VLA has been used to study gamma ray bursts, pulsars, the sun and even to communicate with Voyager 2 as it passed Neptune in 1989.
Ancient Doorways
In northwest New Mexico is Chaco Canyon National Historical Park which contains the largest and grandest example of ancient ruins in America, the pueblos of the Chacoan people who inhabited the area approximately 1,000 years ago. The largest of these structures is Pueblo Bonito. Covering four acres and featuring buildings as tall as three stories, it served as a spiritual and cultural center for the Anasazi tribes thought to have lived here.
Kiwanis Cabin
Atop Sandia Peak just northeast of Albuquerque is Kiwanis Cabin. Built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp to provide shelter for hikers caught out on the mountain, it no longer has windows and is full of graffiti from assholes who think “Mike was here” is a profound statement. The image is desaturated for effect. I don’t know what effect exactly, but an effect nonetheless. Yes, this is a repeat from a previous post, but I like the picture enough to feature it again.
Very Large Array
Located in central New Mexico is the Very Large Array, the largest radio interferometer currently in operation. Contrary to what the movie Contact would have you believe, astronomers do not “listen” to the cosmos. Radio is merely the name of another part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can detect just like visible light, x-rays, et cetera. It’s not radio as in AM/FM. Movies are retarded.