Big White Space Thing across from Cramer Park

i think its to study "aliens activity". they do give tours and there is a nice plaque at site about how there is only ( i think ) 7 of them in the world. you should go check it out.

National Radio Astronomy Observatory
http://www.nrao.edu/

It's a radio telescope. It is part of a worldwide network for radio-astronomy called the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) which is the sharpest telescope on earth or in space because of it's wide network.

The facility is great; they have an atomic clock, and the best air conditioning on the island.

Here's more:

http://www.vlba.nrao.edu/

Call 'em to arrange a tour: 773-4448

At my previous home on St. Croix, I kayaked along the reef many times a week, and had a very clear view of this radio astronomy dish.

I've seen it locked in various positions (mostly straight up), but I've also watched it move quite a bit during the day --tracking something in orbit --moving faster than would be required to track a distant object in the cosmos. Since most civilian satellites are stationary, I assumed it was part of the defense dept, or was part of the communications system that was tracking the space station or something else. Anybody have any thoughts on that?

There is one on Oahu that is not listed. The guys that worked at that one said it also has something to do with communicating with submarines. I have no idea if this is accurate

wish i could hook it up to broadband or satellite tv. maybe broadband would work better.

FYI...The dish is one of ten located around the United States. One is in HI and the rest are on the mainland.

It's a radio telescope. It is part of a worldwide network for radio-astronomy called the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) which is the sharpest telescope on earth or in space because of it's wide network.

 

Thank you all !!
I was wondering exactly what purpose it served.....
Now I know! Thanks again for the info.

They give tours on Tuesday. Awesome view from the dish towards Buck Island. You need to call in advance if you want to take the tour.

Jim

Ever see the movie "Contact" with Jodie Foster? The dishes in that film are part of the same array that the one in STX is. I think it's pretty cool that right here on our island is part of the most powerful telescope on Earth. It can see to the edge of the known universe. That's about 12-15 BILLION light years away.

The dish on STX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvvf3Aw3ybo

And not far from here in PR is Arecibo.

I still find it "interesting" that this "distant object" dish can often be seen tracking something across the sky.
(and not planets or stars...the earth doesn't spin as fast as I've seen that dish tracking)

Next time someone goes on the tour, please ask them about that and post the answer.

Neil,
I am sitting here with the Station Manager for NRAO, St. Croix. When you have seen the dish moving that quickly it is simply changing positions to a new "observation" position. It will track a distant object (ie: quazar) at a speed equal to the earths rotation & revolution in our solar system. OK - he said a whole lot more but that's all I got!! Give the dish a call at 773-4448, ask for Greg and schedule a tour (which are only given on a "maintenance" day when the dish is not "observing" - typically a Tuesday). Hope that helps a bit!

Also - it can't communicate with submarines, isn't part of the Dept of Defense (or CIA, FBI, NSA or other 3 letter group), isn't tracking aliens or sattelites.