The Very Large Array
The Very Large Array sits atop the New Mexican high desert plains, towering over livestock lazily grazing alongside. This radio astronomy observatory is one of the most productive in the world, boasting several discoveries and numerous scientific contributions including science related to the space warping supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies.
The science these radio telescopes help conduct is more or less entirely beyond our realm of experience, having no bearing on every day life or observable significance to our planet's inhabitants. Yet they stand and collect data, and in doing so, represent a very real connection between us and the rest of the universe. The existence of objects and events completely beyond our experience are made manifest by these monuments to discovery, sitting humbly and quietly in the desert sun.
