Editing Very Large Array (section)

==Key science==
The VLA is a multi-purpose instrument designed to allow investigations of many astronomical objects, including [[Radio galaxy|radio galaxies]], [[quasar]]s, [[pulsar]]s, [[supernova]] remnants, [[gamma-ray burst]]s, radio-emitting [[star]]s, the [[sun]] and [[planet]]s, [[astrophysical maser]]s, [[black hole]]s, and the [[hydrogen]] gas that constitutes a large portion of the [[Milky Way]] galaxy as well as external galaxies. In 1989 the VLA was used to receive [[radio]] communications from the [[Voyager 2]] spacecraft as it flew by [[Neptune]].<ref name="Taylor">{{cite book|editor-last=Taylor|editor-first=Jim|title=Deep Space Communications|date=2016|publisher=John Wiley & Sons | isbn=978-1-119-16902-4 | page=67|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ucjeDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA67}}</ref> A search of the galaxies M31 and M32 was conducted in December 2014 through January 2015 with the intent of quickly searching trillions of systems for extremely powerful signals from advanced civilizations.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gray|first1=Robert H.|last2=Mooley|first2=Kunal|title=A VLA Search for Radio Signals from M31 and M33|journal=The Astronomical Journal|date=14 February 2017|volume=153|issue=3|pages=110|doi=10.3847/1538-3881/153/3/110|arxiv = 1702.03301 |bibcode = 2017AJ....153..110G |s2cid=119376407 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

It has been used to carry out several large surveys of radio sources, including the [[NRAO VLA Sky Survey]] and [[Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters]].

In September 2017 the [[VLA Sky Survey]] (VLASS) began.<ref name="Murphy">{{cite web|last1=Murphy|first1=Davis|title=VLA Sky Survey|url=https://science.nrao.edu/science/surveys/vlass|website=National Radio Astronomy Observatory|access-date=30 September 2017}}</ref> This survey will cover the entire sky visible to the VLA (80% of the Earth's sky) in three full scans.<ref name="Barbuzano">{{cite web|last1=Barbuzano|first1=Javier|title=Iconic Radio Telescope Begins 7-year Search for New Objects|url=http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/iconic-radio-telescope-begins-search/|website=Sky & Telescope|date=26 September 2017|access-date=30 September 2017}}</ref> Astronomers expect to find about 10 million new objects with the survey&nbsp;— four times more than what is presently known.<ref name="Barbuzano" />