Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array Completes Massive New Sky Survey

• The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) has completed the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS), the largest and highest-resolution radio survey in its history.
• The survey covers 80% of the sky across three epochs, generated 2 petabytes of data, and required 6,500 hours of observation time.
• VLASS matches the resolution of modern optical and infrared surveys, enabling multiwavelength astronomical discoveries.

Project Overview

• The VLA consists of 28 reconfigurable 25-meter radio dishes in New Mexico that are moved on rails every 3–4 months.
• VLASS was designed to complement current optical and near-infrared surveys, providing depth and frequent re-observation capabilities.
• The survey is considered a foundational, long-term investment for the global astrophysical community, following the legacy of the NVSS and FIRST surveys.

Scientific Objectives

• Hidden Explosions and Transient Events: Tracking supernovae and gamma-ray bursts.
• Faraday Tomography of the Magnetic Sky: Mapping cosmic magnetic fields using polarization data.
• Imaging Galaxies through Time and Space: Researching the evolution of galaxies and active galactic nuclei.
• The New Milky Way: Identifying previously obscured structures within our own galaxy.