Prototype for long wavelength array sees first light

Commissioning observations made this past fall by the LWDA show its all sky imaging capability. In this frame from the LWDA first light movie, emission from the bright sources Sagittarius A at the center of our galaxy, Cassiopeia A, and the black-hole powered radio galaxy, Cygnus A, are all clearly visible. Cassiopeia A, the strongest discrete radio source visible in the sky, is a remnant of a massive star that exploded in a supernova over 300 years ago. Credit: Tracy Clarke, Interferometrics, Inc.