The Very Large (and Very Cool) Array

In addition to all the natural beauty of New Mexico, some equally beautiful features on the landscape are made by humans.  One of them is the Very Large Array (VLA).

Constructed between 1973 and 1980, the VLA is located on a broad plain 50 miles west of Socorro, New Mexico, that is surrounded by mountains and is approximately 7,000 feet above sea level.

The VLA is a collection of 27 radio antenna dishes, each 25 meters in diameter and weighing 230 tons.  

The antennas are arrayed along three lines in the shape of a "Y," with 9 antennas on each line.  The antennas can be moved to different positions along the arms of the Y -- close together or far apart.

The VLA is used to observe black holes, proto-planetary discs, and other astronomical phenomena that emit energy at radio frequencies (whose wavelengths are 100,000 times longer than visible light -- hence the need for very large telescopes).

Besides its scientific value, the VLA's iconic beauty has captured the imaginations of filmmakers, rock musicians, and others.  It first appeared in the movie "2010" (the sequel to "2001: A Space Odyssey") in 1984, but was most notable in the 1997 film, "Contact," starring Jodie Foster.

You can see the VLA in the trailer for "Contact" here.

When I visited the site in mid-September, the dishes were in one of their more dispersed configurations, with about a mile between each dish.

Consequently, it was a challenge to get more than one dish in the same visual frame.  That just meant I had to be creative in my shooting.

For more of my images of the VLA, visit my photography website, Todos Juntos Photography, by clicking here.

Be sure to check out the video (last item in the gallery) of a dish being re-oriented.

State Fair!

This week's "festival" in New Mexico is the State Fair, held in Albuquerque.  Naturally, there are the obligatory rides and games, along with a few unique ones:

flying skateboarders . . . 

a mariachi band (in their casual afternoon attire) . . .

a geezer band (ditto) . . . 

hot food . . .

junk food . . .

even one forlorn little kielbasa stand off in the corner, clearly out of its natural northeastern or midwestern U.S. habitat . . .

and . . . well . . . lots and lots of junk.

Fortunately, for those of us with more refined tastes, there were cultural elements, including some dramatic, beautiful native dancers.

But the main attraction for me was the annual Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge:

What restaurant has the best green chile cheeseburger in New Mexico (or, perhaps, the world)?  Twelve outfits from around the state converged on the Fair to find out.

Each competitor put together their best creation . . .

and then rushed it to the judges' table, hot off the grill . . .

where it was photographed (there were points for presentation) . . .

quartered (one for each judge) . . .

                        served . . .

                                                                         probed . . .

                eaten . . .

            and rated.

Finally . . . a winner is crowned!  And here in the Land of Enchantment, it's front page news!

The winner:  Rockin' BZ Burgers from Alamagordo!  (about 250 miles from here)

Hungry for more?  Larger versions of these images (and more) are viewable at my website, Todos Juntos Photography.  Click here.

Enjoy!

The Burning of Zozobra

Welcome to Corrales Chronicles, where we post occasional illustrated stories about life and photography in New Mexico.

One of the wonderful things about New Mexico is that we have festivals and cultural events practically every week, drawing on the traditions of three cultures – Native, Hispanic, and Anglo.  The events feature food, art, dance, sports, music, religion, storytelling, balloons  . . . you name it, there’s a festival for it.

And one of the premier festivals is the Fiesta de Santa Fe, this year celebrating its 300^th anniversary – the oldest continuous community celebration in America.  You can read more about this festival by clicking here. 

The Fiesta officially opens with a pre-dawn mass at a chapel built on the site where Don Diego de Vargas camped when the Spanish re-took Santa Fe in 1692, twelve years after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.

But the unofficial beginning of the Fiesta happens the night before with the Burning of Zozobra, a 50-foot tall marionette effigy of “Old Man Gloom,” to dispel any unhappiness that would mar the celebration.

The burning was begun in 1924 by Santa Fe artist Will Shuster, originally as an anti-Fiesta statement.  Two years later, it was brought into the official Fiesta canon of events, and is now a fundraising event for the Santa Fe Kiwanis club.  You can read more about the history of Zozobra here.

The Burning of Zozobra takes place at a city park/sports field near downtown Santa Fe.

Zozobra stands on an embankment overlooking the playing field.

There are, of course, the usual tchotchke and food vendors.

 People begin to arrive in late afternoon.

There’s a master of ceremonies . . .

entertainment . . .

. . .and the obligatory posing for photos in front of Zozobra.

These are the fire-carriers (about which, more later) . . .

There’s also an official group of costumed characters representing Don Diego de Vargas and his retinue, plus La Reina de Fiesta.

They put in an appearance before the burning, and then mingle with the crowd.

During the afternoon, if you want to dispel your own gloom, you can write down your sadness and put it in the Gloom Box for deposit inside Zozobra to be burned.

The crowd grows as the sun sets . . .

and Zozobra grows more ominous . . .

After a two-hour delay due to unacceptably high winds, the crowd has swelled to about 25,000, and they're getting restless.

Finally the ceremony begins.

First, the “judge” reads a list of grievances against Zozobra, and pronounces the sentence:  “Burn him!”

The lights go out . . .

And the “gloomies” appear to defend Zozobra . . .

Only to be dispelled by the fire-carriers . . .

Finally, Zozobra is confronted with a threatening fireworks display . . .

And suddenly, Zozobra’s head begins to explode . . .

The Burning of Zozobra has begun!

In about two minutes, Zozobra collapses into a heap . . .

and the celebratory fireworks begin!

Old Man Gloom is gone!  Time to go home!

If you'd like to see larger versions of these images, you can visit my photography website, Todos Juntos Photography, by clicking here.