Here is a previously posted retro blog for a visit I made to the Very Large Array in New Mexico.  It was an amazing place to visit based on the history and the movies.

It is famous from the movie Contact starring Jodie Foster and the exploration and contact with extraterritorial life outside of earth.  But let me take a side trip (no pun intended) on how we got to the NRAO public observatory that is in the middle of New Mexico.

When you read about New Mexico, what is the first story you read about in the news?

Roswell.

Of course, before going to the array, we had to first drive to Roswell, New Mexico to get a briefing and more evidence on aliens and UFOs to be fully informed in advance.

It was amazing to learn about Roswell and the UFO crash landing.  A large set of displays and exhibits to check out in this very charming town.  I will not comment on whether the alien autopsy video was fake news or not, but I will say, it is like Las Vegas: what happens in Roswell, stays in Roswell!

We met some interesting locals and other explorers.  As a result, we picked up a hitchhiker before proceeding west to Socorro.  They needed a way to communicate to distant stars, so we helped them find their way.

Needless to say, the site was very impressive and inspiring.  Unfortunately, it is a little restricted and you are limited on where you can go and take pictures.  You can learn much more by going inside and understanding how the array actually works.

Fortunately,  there is a least one of the dishes quite close to the observation area that enables you to capture some great shots and signals from outer space at the same time!

Summary: A highly recommended visit and scenic drive across New Mexico.  Now, why did aliens and UFOs express such interest in New Mexico?  Read on!

Before leaving the state, we went over to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque. It is the best known museum and artifacts of nuclear science in the United States.

It has some amazing (both current and historical) weapon examples for display that are in the US arsenal.  It was amazing to see a MIRV based ICBM payload example up close.

and for the security experts, they also had some early versions of the nuclear warhead PAL controls that the United States developed and then eventually supplied the Soviet Union to protect against malicious or accidental warhead denotation.