National Radio Astronomy Observatory - Socorro, New Mexico - Site for Dozens of Radio Telescopes

Operated under cooperative agreement with Associated Universities, Inc., the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro, New Mexico is a facility of the National Science Foundation. It was founded in 1956 to provide state-of-the-art radio telescope access to the international scientific community and to expand human understanding of the surrounding universe.

More than three dozen powerful research telescopes stand at the core of NRAO operations. The Very Large Array (VLA) features 27 radio telescopes, while the Very Long Baseline Array has 10 more, offering the highest resolution images of the heavens available on Earth. The enormous Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope has been ranked as the most sensitive single-dish radio telescope in the world.

NRAO provides a number of formal and informal educational programs and public outreach activities. Its VLA Visitor Center is open daily from 8:30am to sunset, offering self-guided tours at no charge. There is also a Gift Shop on site, with operating hours from 9am to 4pm every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The NRAO Array Operations Center is located at 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, New Mexico 87801-0387.