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In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, telescope tourist, rocket scientist, and STEAM educator Summer Ash gives us the nitty gritty on the V.L.A., a 22-mile telescope in New Mexico whose formal name is literally “Very Large Array.” We talk about how this observatory works and what cosmic wonders it’s detected.

Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible site, and along the way you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories. Join us daily, Monday through Thursday, to explore a new wonder with cofounder Dylan Thuras and a neighborhood of Atlas Obscura reporters.

Richard Stephen Haynes/CC BY-SA 4.0