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Renaming the Very Large Array

Posted by Soulskill on from the how-about-the-really-big-array dept.

New submitter mercurywoodrose writes "To commemorate a decade-long electronics upgrade, the Very Large Array in New Mexico is up for renaming. Submissions may be made at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's website until December 1."

33 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. BART by JavaBear · · Score: 5, Funny

    Big Ass Radio Telescope ?

    1. Re:BART by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2

      Whoosh yourself.

      Large
      Array of
      Radio
      Telescopes

      -> LART

      Get it now?

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  2. How about Sagan by rossdee · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In Honor of Carl Sagan, the writer of Contact , and a populiser of astronomy

    1. Re:How about Sagan by curio_city · · Score: 5, Funny

      Super Awesome Group of ANtennae?

    2. Re:How about Sagan by stephanruby · · Score: 2

      They should just do like most Universities do with their buildings, have a reverse auction and rename the array, every couple of years.

    3. Re:How about Sagan by John+Bresnahan · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Careful there. If the Sagan estate is still as litigious as Sagan used to be, the VLA might end up with the name "Butt-Head Astronomer Telescope". Wikipedia.org

    4. Re:How about Sagan by nitehawk214 · · Score: 2

      Butthead Astronomer Telescope. I like it. BAT it is.

      How about the Beavis Astronomer Telescope?

      --
      I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
    5. Re:How about Sagan by Ster · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In Contact, the facility Ellie was at when The Message started arriving was called the Argus Array. Then when they made the movie, they actually used the VLA and called it the VLA. So why not make life imitate art and go with the Argus Array.

      -Ster

  3. Most comments will be- by Zaldarr · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The Array

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    1. Re:Most comments will be- by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2

      Oh, and don't forget to proofread! :-)

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      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  4. FVLA? by G3ckoG33k · · Score: 2

    Formerly Very Large Array?

  5. I propose... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    int *A = malloc(SIZE_MAX);

  6. Charity by sirdude · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why not auction the name and donate the proceeds to a scientific charity? I suspect that big money can be made ...

    1. Re:Charity by dkf · · Score: 2

      I suspect that big money can be made ...

      Only if you get the scaling factor on your printing press wrong!

      --
      "Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
  7. The COLBERT array. by faulteh · · Score: 2

    OK I haven't thought of what the acronym means yet but you can bet that the Colbert Nation is hard at work submitting recommendations.

    Completely "Oldstuff Left Behind" Enhanced Radio Telescope

    1. Re:The COLBERT array. by amRadioHed · · Score: 5, Funny

      How about "Configurable Observatory of Large Baseline Enhanced Radio Telescopes"

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  8. Re:1 question by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2

    Why on earth? And also in the universe?

    While that's certainly an interesting name, I don't think it would be very good marketing. :-)
    (BTW those are two questions!)

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  9. Homage to Fermi by djl4570 · · Score: 2

    "Where are they?"

  10. Tip a hat to Slashdot by White+Flame · · Score: 3, Funny

    IABCOD "Imagine a Beowulf cluster of dishes!"

  11. I know! by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 3, Funny

    How about "Paul"?

  12. Some perspective is in order. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 2

    Because all these constructions with their superlative names are always eventually surpassed by something else, I propose that we name this the "Pretty Big Array".

    1. Re:Some perspective is in order. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 3, Funny

      If that naming convention is going to be continued, each generation should at least sound bigger than the previous. To my ear, "Pretty Big Array" does not sound quite as big as "Very Large Array" (I'm not a native english speaker so I could be wrong). Anyway, its probably better to ditch this naming convention as you will end up in stupid names in relatively short time. For example, in few generations you could end up with something like "Ridiculously Oversized Array"

      But that was my whole point. We should start back a ways. Otherwise, we'll end up having "The Very Very Large Array", "The Even Larger Array", "Yet Another Extremely Sizable Array", and "Jesus Christ! Would You Look At That Array!"

      I think if we back up a bit, and start small, it will give us more room to grow.

  13. Do new names really stick? by jklovanc · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Astronomer 1: did you see what "insert new name here" found?
    Astronomer 2: "new name"??
    Astronomer 1: The Very Large Array..
    Astronomer 2: Oh yeah, they changed the name. Go on.

    Old names have a tendency to stick around in proportion to how long they were used. Since the Very Large Array has been around for a while the name will probably be around for a while more.

    Another issue is that researchers could be confused when the same piece of scientific gear is referred to by more than one name. It would be easy to miss the fact that the Very Large Array and "insert new name here" are actually the same piece of equipment.

  14. BFA 9000 by Jonah+Hex · · Score: 4, Funny

    Modify it a bit to BFA 9000

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  15. If size is so important... by itsdapead · · Score: 3, Funny

    If this size-based naming goes much further we're going to end up with telescopes with names like The Bigger Than The Very Large Array But Not As Big As The Extremely Large Array Array...

    Or they could just admit to their resolution envy and call it the Particularly Enormous Network of Interferometric Sensors.

    --
    In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
  16. Special High Intensity Telescope by syousef · · Score: 2

    Call it SHIT if you want, just don't cut the fucking budget!

    --
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    1. Re:Special High Intensity Telescope by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2

      Call it SHIT if you want, just don't cut the fucking budget!

      They have a separate budget for fucking? :-)

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  17. People by hackertourist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How about naming it after one of the pioneers of radio astronomy?
    - Karl Jansky, first to realize that there were radio waves coming from space
    - Grote Reber, first to build a radio telescope
    - Sir Martin Ryle, who came up with radio interferometry (although he's already had a radio telescope named after him)

  18. The Ritchie Array... by SwedishChef · · Score: 2

    Something should be named after Dennis Ritchie.

    --
    No one ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke!
    1. Re:The Ritchie Array... by Linknoid · · Score: 2

      I think it would be more appropriate to name a sea after him.

  19. In memory of Dennis Ritchie... by sp332 · · Score: 2

    space* dennis_ritchie[]; // The Dennis Ritchie Array of Pointers to Space

  20. Panoptes by Martin+S. · · Score: 2

    After the giant watchman in Greek mythology that kept a constant watch with his 100 eyes only closing a few at a time.
     

  21. Complete Disharray by SkyratesPlayer · · Score: 2

    Just to have some pun...