Array Operations Center
Encyclopedia
The Array Operations Center (AOC) in Socorro
, New Mexico
, is the control and monitor centre for the VLBA
and the VLA
. From the AOC, NRAO operators are able to remotely control and monitor the remote stations over the internet
. The operators can aim the antennas, select radio frequencies for observation, control the tape recorders and monitor the 'health' of the equipment at every site. A real-time display of the array's status is available for observers to also monitor their experiment.
It is a component of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
and is located on the campus of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
.
Socorro, New Mexico
Socorro is a city in Socorro County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It stands in the Rio Grande Valley at an elevation of . The population was 9,051 at the 2010 census...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, is the control and monitor centre for the VLBA
Very Long Baseline Array
The Very Long Baseline Array is a system of ten radio telescopes controlled remotely from the Array Operations Center in Socorro, New Mexico by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The array works together as the world's largest dedicated, full-time astronomical instrument using the...
and the VLA
Very Large Array
The Very Large Array is a radio astronomy observatory located on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, some fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico, USA...
. From the AOC, NRAO operators are able to remotely control and monitor the remote stations over the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. The operators can aim the antennas, select radio frequencies for observation, control the tape recorders and monitor the 'health' of the equipment at every site. A real-time display of the array's status is available for observers to also monitor their experiment.
It is a component of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center of the United States National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc for the purpose of radio astronomy...
and is located on the campus of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a university located in Socorro, New Mexico....
.