News from the Chair

Long Wavelength Array Field Trip

Distinguished Professor Greg Taylor escorted a group of UNM and Hillsdale College undergraduates to build new antennas at the Long Wavelength Array -- North Arm

In collaboration with physics students from Hillsdale College in Michigan, on Saturday, September 16, 2023, UNM faculty and students placed metal grates, constructed scaffolds, and positioned sensors for new antennas at the Long Wavelength Array's third station.

Once the third station is completed, the LWA will be able to produce higher resolution images of one of the most poorly studied parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The Long Wavelength Array is composed of more than 250 pyramid-shaped antennas close to five feet tall, dispersed across a large area outside Magdalena, New Mexico. It is a low-frequency radio telescope designed to produce high-sensitivity, high-resolution images. This station, combined with others across the globe, allows astronomers the opportunity to learn more about Cosmic Dawn, Active Galaxies, Pulsars, meteors, and the early universe.

See the UNM Newsroom article, photos from the field trip and find out more about the LWA.