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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."

14 of 176 comments (clear)

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

    Big Ass Radio Telescope ?

  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 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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  4. 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 ...

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

    IABCOD "Imagine a Beowulf cluster of dishes!"

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

    How about "Paul"?

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

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

    Modify it a bit to BFA 9000

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

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

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  11. 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.

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  12. 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)