Very Large Array - Plains Of San Agustin

The Plains Of San Agustin is a desolate place in central New Mexico where the desert grasslands meet the mountains and mesas. This is a very picturesque region, especially when the grasslands turn a golden color during the autumn season. Doing a scenic drive through these vast grassy plains will not take a tourist too far out of the way, because the Datil Well Recreation Area and Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument are in this same part of New Mexico. The reason why these neighboring destinations are mentioned is because there are no obvious points of interest to be found in the Plains Of San Agustin when browsing a map. This place is just a big blank spot on most mapping systems. The words "Very Large Array" may appear in fine print, but this will likely just leave the average tourist clueless as to what to expect.  

There are a few intangibles involved with the Pains Of San Agustin that certainly will provide a lifetime of strange thoughts to ponder over. This grassy region is located along Highway 60 between Datil and Magdelena. The Gila National Forest surrounds this area and this is where the higher elevations are found. In fact, the mountainous areas are like islands in a see of grassy plains and there are fewer mountain peaks to be seen when heading east toward Roswell, where the flat grasslands takeover the landscape. Just the mere mention of Roswell being in this sea of grass will provide a clue as to what the intangibles are all about.

The Plains Of San Agustin is the actual location of the world famous Roswell UFO crash that occurred back in 1947. This incident was officially a weather balloon crash, but that is another story. This bit of information is important to know, because for the alien presence believers, this   will be the motivating factor for touring the Plains Of San Agustin. The magnetic attraction of being close to where an alien spacecraft was recovered is enough to lure folks right in.

The words "Very Large Array" will likely make no sense, unless an individual has a good education or has spent time watching science documentaries. The Very Large Array in the Plains Of San Agustin is a very complex radio telescope system that covers quite a bit of ground. There is literally one super large radio telescope dish after another for miles around in this place. Some are scattered across the landscape, while others are lined up in rows that stretch out to the horizon. The massive radio telescopes are an impressive sight to see upon first glance and this is when the name of this dot on the map takes on real meaning.

The Very Large Array National Radio Astronomy Observatory sponsors tours and events that are well worth planning a vacation around. This destination will easily capture the interest of visitors of all ages and a lot can be learned while doing the guided tour. Group tours are available and all the necessary information needed for planning a visit can be found at the Very Large Array Observatory website. Now that the mysterious intangibles of the Plains Of San Agustin have been revealed, it is easy to see that this desolate blank spot on a map actually is a prime time destination that should not be casually overlooked!