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Suggest a new name for the Very Large Array

Maggie Koerth-Baker at 7:30 am Fri, Oct 14, 2011

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The Very Large Array is a spectacular piece of a scientific equipment with a less-than-compelling name. Located in New Mexico, you've seen this radio observatory pop up in the background of movies, album covers, and on Carl Sagan's Cosmos.

This year, the Very Large Array, which has been around since the 1970s, got some much-needed electronic upgrades and now the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which runs the Array, would like to rename it. Ideally, the new name should sound less like a Best Choice product and/or something produced by the Dharma Corporation. (We've got your "Canned Peas", your "Potato Chips" and your "Very Large Array".)

Entries will be accepted through December 1. The new name will be announced in January. The comment section will be full of sarcastic jokes.

Via Sarah Kavassalis

Image: Wikipedia user Hajor, used via CC

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

Maggie goes places and talks to people. Find out where she'll be speaking next.

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  • msbpodcast

    I like “Emily”. Its not an acronym or anything. She’s just Emily the radio dish array.

    • jackbird

      If going that route, it should be “Eleanor”, or “Elly,” as in “Arroway.”

  • http://artdonovan.typepad.com Art

    “The Gigantic Electrical Radio Space Ears That Don’t Really Take Neat Pictures Like Hubble”

    (Catchy Acronym:  T.G.E.R.S.E.T.D.R.T.N.P.L.H.)

  • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

    Mr. Antenna Pants

  • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

    That-Which-Must-Not-Be-Renamed

  • beemoh

    Am I the only person desperately trying to think of something that acronyms as “VERY LARGE ARRAY”?

    • Aric Forbing

      Vast
      expansive
      radio,
      you
      listen
      always.
      Radio
      gods
      expect
      absolute
      reverence,
      relayed
      always by
      you.

    • Julien Durand

      velar (like the sound rrrrr)

  • Draxlith

    “The comment section will be full of sarcastic jokes.”

    Well, they can clearly dish it out, so hopefully they can take it, too.

  • GuyInMilwaukee

    The “Holy Crap That’s a Big Array” array has nice ring to it.

    Kidding aside… Is there an array named for Carl Sagan yet? That would have my vote.

  • xenphilos

    First thing that popped into my head: int array[very large]

  • jamesggilmore

    Why not just call it the Sagan Array?

    If you need to make it an acronym, it would be the Sweet-Ass Gigantic Astronomical Networked Array.

    • bwcbwc

      Yeah, as I recall it made an appearance in “Contact” as well as “Cosmos”. Name it after Sagan and be done with it. Unless there’s some sort of institutional rivalry resulting in NIH syndrome (“Not Invented Here”, not “National Institutes of Health”). Now let’s see: The Sagan Large Array? The Large Sagan Array? The Very Sagan Large Array?

      Oh well. Skip Sagan. Let’s name it The Large Boing-boing Array.

      • crummett

        >>>…it made an appearance in “Contact” as well as “Cosmos”.<<<

        Also "2010".

        • Guest

          ‘This is very bad for my asthma!’

  • Paul Renault

    The Ultimate Freakin’ Interferometry Array?

    Or has that acronym already been taken?

  • Bevatron Repairman

    Big Bucket o’ Janskys.

  • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

    +5 Array of Radio Listening

  • nixiebunny

    The grad students where I work made a joke poster for the Super Huge Interferometric Telescope, which would actually describe this thing pretty well. Not the connotation, but the acronym. 

  • GIFtheory

    the Very Large But-Not-As-Large-As-It-Could-Be-Thanks-Obama Array

  • Lobster

    Excessively Huge Array?

  • wendy robb

    This one has my vote :)

  • OohErMissus

    Giant INterferometric Observatory Of Radio-source Mapping Array System – or GINOORMAS, for short.

  • Don Smith

    The Some Like It Hot National Array.

  • planettom

    I’m trying to remember what the project was named in Arthur C. Clarke’s IMPERIAL EARTH, it was a space-based Very Large Array, basically.   It could see in all directions, and I’m thinking it was named after some Greek mythology figure or something.    But I’m blanking.  Maybe it was just Janus.

    • Bevatron Repairman

      Argus, I believe.

      • planettom

        Thank you!

      • CountZero

        Argus Panoptes (Argus “All-Eyes”), a giant with a hundred eyes. It would certainly be appropriate, especially with the Clarke connection as well. Yes, that works for me.

    • Andrew Stadler

      Argus

  • http://maggiekb.com/ Maggie Koerth-Baker

    You have all lived up to my expectations/hopes. Thank you. 

  • Cocomaan

    I suggested the “Well Endowed Array”

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Smith/714041653 Jim Smith

      LOL

  • Chris.Williams

    Argos.

    • http://twitter.com/ubernerd83 Chris Schonegg

      Argos was Odysseus’ dog.  Argus was the many-eyed guardian of Io.

    • http://glitch.tl/ Michael Smith

      Argos

      I thought we were saving that name for the moons of Saturn. Thinking back, didn’t the accident at the end of Imperial Earth happen at the (then very old) VLA? Or was it at a later telescope array?

  • Chris Collins

    ["hip", "hip"] anyone?

    • Cocomaan

      Hip Hip Array?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5310808 Christopher Locke

    Knock knock.
    Who’s there?
    Dishes.
    Dishes who?
    Dishes de biggesht array I’ve ever seen.

    • Guest

      Oh, dishisn’t the FBI…?

  • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

    Parabolic Optimized Observatory Platform

    • bwcbwc

      Oh POOP, you never fail us!

    • Julien Durand

      Poooo

  • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

    The “Just think, somewhere out there in the vastness of the universe, another civilization has an identical array of radio telescopes pointed back at us. And did you ever really look at your hands?!” Array

  • ChicagoD

    I guess Dish Network is already taken, isn’t it.

  • sudsi

    The Array Formerly Known as “Very Large”. Or Diddy.

  • TheHowl

    Boo NRAO. What’s wrong with Very Large Array? It’s nicely descriptive, and pretty awesome in its own prosaic way. Not everything needs rebranding (I can just see them now: “ooh, ooh, could we name it Quikstar? that sounds hip and high-tech!”).

    (Don’t even get me started on the dumbass backronyms.)

  • http://twitter.com/cicadamania Cicada Mania

    Mr. Mulloonigans.

  • zweii

    Array XXL

  • GuyInMilwaukee

    Arroway Array

  • http://twitter.com/strugglngwriter strugglngwriter

    I kinda like Very Large Array. It’s unique and says what it is. How about Unbounded Array?

  • http://www.jjsaul.com Jim Saul

    We should call it “YASNY.”

    You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.

    Or “What they thought was big back before we discovered the first few signals.”

  • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

    I am become Array, observer of worlds.

  • http://www.jjsaul.com Jim Saul

    “Very Large, you know, for a ground-based array.  But really groundlings, don’t feel bad, size doesn’t mattter.”

  • calebcharles

    Carl’s Array Really Large

  • snusles

    Big ‘n dishy

  • GuyInMilwaukee

    The “Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky” Array

  • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

    Space F*cker 5000

  • Seto

    They better not name it “Carl Sagan’s Very Large Array”!

    • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

      Oh… I think they better. =)

    • David James

      No, it’ll be something more like “Subway $5 Foot-long Array”. With hand signals and another goddamned catchy jingle.

      And then everyone will still just call it the VLA, except for sportscasters, who will visibly cringe every time they say the name. (You think it’s a coincidence they’re basically never on-screen when they announce the stadium where the game of the day is being played?

  • angstrom

    I suggest something that appeals to the voting public’s knee jerk response, and therefore ensures continued  funding.

    #1 :  Alien Sky Cannon
    #2:   i Earth -  instant messenger
    #3:   Prayer Booster Pro
    #4:  American Eagle Patriot Defense Shield
    #5:  Mothers for Family Values national Monument

    • http://twitter.com/strugglngwriter strugglngwriter

      I’m with you. I think #4 would work the best with only one tweak. Add Ronald Reagan’s name.

      #4:  Ronald Reagan American Eagle Patriot Defense Shield

  • http://twitter.com/3parkbenchhydra A Hut Full

    Does anyone else think “Very Large Array” is perfectly awesome?

  • http://twitter.com/iheartinternets Alfonso Estevez

    The Yo Mama-rray

    • senatorvreenak

      The “Still Not As Big As Yo Mama-rray”

    • petertrepan

      The Yo Mama-rray is so big, it grants funding to Congress.
      The Yo Mama-rray is so big, the centermost dish just picked up a TV broadcast from 1936.
      The Yo Mama-rray is so big, when it triangulates on a star, the triangle is equilateral.
      The Yo Mama-rray is so big, a scientist once fell from the top of a dish, and Congress passed legislation requiring his coworkers to catch him.

  • aynrandspenismighty

    Edith Head?

  • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

    Mighty Monstrous Matrix

  • Red Pill Junkie

    *Stellarazzi

    *Arrayzilla

  • andyhavens

    The Uncovered Dish Super

  • Alvis

    I’d mess with conspiracy buffs by naming it the Weather Dominator.

  • Red Pill Junkie

    All your Arrays are belong to Us

  • allybeag

    I’ve always liked Very Large Array. Why change it? It describes what it is, which is more than a lot of names do. There’s something quite poetic about its prosaicness.

  • TheOmbudsman

    O Array,
    Ooh, you are so big…
    So absolutely huge…
    Gosh, we’re all really impressed down here, I can tell you…
    Forgive us, O Array, for this, our dreadful toadying, and barefaced flattery…
    But you are so strong and, well, just so super.
    Fantastic.
    Amen.

  • technogeekagain

    This seems a no-brainer: Which noted astronomers/astrophysicists/cosmologists, or educators in those areas, don’t yet have a ‘scope named after them? Among those, whose work was or will be most facilitated by the VLA, and thus is best to associate with it?

    Or just find someone from those ranks who is named Vila or Villa, so the abbreviation need not be changed.

    (I’m still waiting for the Sagan to become an official unit of something, with a value that can be described as “billions and billions”)

  • RJ

    The Quite Substantial Instrument. If that doesn’t work for the array, it would still work as a porno title.

  • xzzy

    If a name change is necessary, I think the only reasonable thing to call it is ‘Vlad’.

    (the existing name is fine, I love it when scientists let their sense of humor show and they should leave it as is)

    The worst part about these naming contests is invariably something hopelessly sappy is chosen, and it was probably submitted by some 9 year old kid. It will either be dripping with patriotism, or function as a memorial for someone/thing.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7J2M4NXZV3DITFPPDZVKALT2XQ Troy

    VLAD – Very Large Array Designation

    • http://twitter.com/zacharyjohnson Zachary John⚡on

      VLAD The Space Impaler

  • Paul Butler

    How about degrasse knoll array.  

  • awjt

    The Shrooms

  • wibbled_pig

    Finding Aliens is Really Tiresome

  • thivai

    Our Array is So Big it Hertz

  • Nadreck

    How about various peepers from literature?
    Heimdall
    Marlowe
    The Planatir
    The Guardian of Forever
    The Panopticon

  • hairfool

    Upgraded Very Large Array

    • awjt

      Upgraded Very Uniquely Large Array, or UVULA

      • nopenopenope

        Very Uniquely Large Vast Array.

        • awjt

          Very Uniquely Large Vast Upgraded Very Uniquely Large Array

          (VULVUVULA)

          • http://maggiekb.com/ Maggie Koerth-Baker

            Very Unusually Vast Unique Zesty Enormously Large Array 

            VUVUZELA 
            It’s a great acronym, and a comment about how obnoxious our radio broadcasts probably are to the rest of the Universe. 

          • http://twitter.com/_tillwe_ Till Westermayer

            Shouldn’t that be VUVUZUELA, i.e. Very Unusual, Very Unique, Zeta Ultra Enormously Large Array?

  • Ken Thomas

    Since NASA refuses to name anything after Neal Armstrong, I think they should name it after him.

    Besides, Armstrong Array sounds pretty cool.

    • hexwench

      I believe you mean to honor Neil Armstrong.

      • Ken Thomas

        Ha! And I believe you are correct, sir – Thank you.

  • yadayada

    First thought: Very Big Array.

    That’s why I’m not a writer.

  • James Ph. Kotsybar

    Christopher Locke wins my vote for best joke!

  • Mike Baker

    Look Array Up There

  • lee_hasler

    Jumbo Space Nipples?

  • keihin

    Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish Dish

  • Petzl

    Get corporate sponsorship and call it
    The DORITOS® Spicy Sweet Chili-Flavored Tortilla Chips Very Large Array.

    • mappo

      If  it was corporate sponsored, I’d go with the “Carl’s Jr. EXTRA BIG ASS array”.

  • http://twitter.com/mdleach martin leach

    Earth Zit

    or BAARRAY – pronounced BARRY – for Big Ass Array

  • http://twitter.com/mdleach martin leach

    WGT11 – We Go To 11 !!!!

    courtesy of spinal tap!

  • Michael Bishop

    “The Ear”

  • zachleat

    Arrayarrhea

  • http://artdonovan.typepad.com Art

    I LIKE that, Jack!  :)

  • http://twitter.com/NotSoNiceville Grant

    The Ted Kennedy Memorial Wicked Monstah Array

  • Krutus

    The My Balls Array.

    (Sorry)

  • ymr049c

    The Very Large No Seriously You Should See It Array

  • Mongrove_Moone

    technogeekagain said:
    (I’m still waiting for the Sagan to become an official unit of
    something, with a value that can be described as “billions and
    billions”)

    Might I suggest we start using the Sagan as an astronomical unit for 10 billion stars? We could describe the Milky Way as being on a scale of 20-40 Sagans.

    My thought is, for you to have “one” billions, you would need two billion. (In the same way that you need a minimum of two “dog” to actually have “dogs”.) “Billions and billions” would then imply, at very least, four billion. But since that’s an awkward number for a decimal-based civilization to use, rounding up to 10 (the building block of the metric system) seems quite… logical?

  • Talia

    Name it Dis! :P

    Serious suggestion: I love the sound of Asimov Array.

  • moioci

    Vast Tracts of Land Array

  • http://twitter.com/lwirbel Loring Wirbel

    Dishes for Pie Town (in honor of nearby Pie Town NM)

  • slashdottir

    The “total perception vortex”

  • slashdottir

    The “Total Perspective Vortex”, I mean

  • Teller

    The Loring Wirbel-inspired: Deep Dish Pie-in-the-Sky

    Or, given its mission: Array of Hope

  • lorq

    The Array of Unusual Size.

  • http://profiles.google.com/jon.scott Jonathan Scott

    The Lidless Eye

  • Derek Parlee

    The cupboard.

  • omems

    Large Array of Independent Dishes

    You can figure out the jokes from there.

  • Frank W

    Nyarlathotep.

  • Gtmac

    I’m quite surprised, given the likely prevalence of old school gamers on this site that  no one went with “BFA”.

  • GregS

    Some people already jokingly use “Sagan” as a unit denoting 4 billion. “Billions” has to be at least 2 billion, so “billions and billions” is 4 billion.

    Personally, I’d like to see the VLA named after Carl Sagan, who certainly deserves some sort of honor on this scale.

  • parfae

    Raymond Throat-Wobbler Mangrove 

    • Ambiguity

      Raymond Throat-Wobbler Mangrove

      I assume that would be spelled “VLA.”

  • Ethan Holman

    Andre The Giant Array.

    or

    The Notorious BIG Array.

  • Ethan Holman

    I Like Big Radio Telescopes And I Cannot Lie; You Other Astrophysicists Can’t Deny.

  • huxley82

    Marjorie the Very Large Array, How do you see so far away?

  • BBNinja

    I suggested BFA, a tribute to Doom’s BFG, which if you’re familiar with the acronym… :P

  • http://poemsaboutinternetdating.com Poems About Internet Dating

    looking at these reminds me of that story about how domestic turkeys are so stupid that if they look up at the sky when it’s raining they will drown.

    so probably something about turkeys?

  • Bob Rossney

    The people behind this idea are maybe a little too close to the problem, because the name “Very Large Array” is perfect.  It’s mysterious:  very large what?  Large compared to what?  How much bigger than large is very large?  

    It’s modest in a speak-softly-and-carry-a-big-stick way:  it suggests something like, “we could call this the Extremely Massive Array, but there’s no need for us to try and spook people.  But don’t cross us.”  And finally, it gives the suggestion that this is a tool for people who are serious, not dilettantes on the Internet who need to be entertained – while, paradoxically, entertaining dilettantes on the Internet.

    • GlenBlank

      It’s mysterious:  very large what?  Large compared to what?  

      Compared to the Very Small Array?

      :-)

  • jowlsey

    The embiggened radio telescope.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jason.shankel Jason Shankel

    “Is That An Array In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me”
    “The Really Really Very Large Array”
    “The Not So Small Array”
    “The Fucking Ridiculously Large Array”
    “The What Are You Compensating For Array”

  • http://twitter.com/doubletee Thomas Terashima

    The Saganizer™

    • http://deansli.st/ Dean Putney

      The Central SCRUTINIZER!

  • arkansas

    The Bigger Than Your Array. This Space for Rent Array. Go Away Array.

  • arkansas

    Viagrarray.

  • arkansas

    The HarryCArray.

  • Dwen Dooley

    Betty Crocker’s Very Large Array. 
    A perfect dish, every night.

  • hummakavula

    Up, Up and Array?

  • http://libraries.unl.edu dross1260

    Far Far Array

  • Talia

    How about Faye? The Faye Array. :D

    As an aside, I like how the comments/likes recieved thing glitches out periodically. Like I saw this just now: ” 109 comments 2364 likes received” and briefly felt VERY popular :D 

  • awjt

    “Hesher was here!”

  • http://todaywasawesome.com Dan

    Big Eye
    Bug Eye
    The Ant Hill (all those smaller things working together)
    The Latin Villa (ever notice how latin areas have tons of satellite dishes so they can get the spanish channels?)
    The Busybody
    Bowl Town
    The Universal AC
    Fistful of dishes

  • awjt

    Very Unusually Luscious Vast Unique Zesty Enormously Large Array 

    VULVUZELA.

    My work is done here.

  • http://twitter.com/_tillwe_ Till Westermayer

    Very Large Array, Newly Extended/VLANE

    (or even: VLA mark 2)

  • http://www.xradiograph.com/ OtherMichael

    EARTh := uniquE Array of Radio Telescopes
    EARhART :=     uniquE ARrAy of Radio Telescopes

  • jimh

    Mike

  • Benz BenMan

    …SciEquip…

  • MonkeyRobo

    Earth’s Ear Trumpet.

  • http://twitter.com/zeroanaphora แอ็ะปปี้

    First of all it’s the DHARMA Initiative. Not a corporation (although they held several fake companies.) And the DHARMA has to be capitalized.

  • fnc

    Very Larger Array

    …or maybe…

    Eye of Sauron

  • pete_thedevguy

    Jean-Luc Picard Memorial Array.

  • http://twitter.com/w5kby John M. Bowman Sr.

    Astra Very Large Array  AVLA.    —Simple and to the point

  • http://twitter.com/Instine Phil Teare

    Lucinda.

    Pron.: Looky ‘n Da

  • bwcbwc

    How about the Aperture Science Listening Portal

  • Charlie B

    A great example of the inherent futility of the Semantic Web.

    This thing already has a name.  A lame one, it’s true, because we should know by now not to officially name things “very adjective noun”.  But that lame name already has a significant body of existing associations (paperwork, websites, etc.), and yet we’re talking about renaming it, as though that wouldn’t be a total waste of time and effort.

    OK, I vote for “Emily” then.

  • jimh

    HollaBack

  • demidan

    Babel Dish.

  • freddiefreelance

    Eryvay Argelay Arrayway

  • Sofia Ortiz

    Very Large Array = VLA
    VLA flipped is ALV
    So I think we should call it Alvin.
    And it should broadcast chipmunk tunes, just to be extra-annoying to the universe.

  • demidan

    Sirius Cybernetics easy listening device

  • http://twitter.com/wildbell Will Campbell

    At first glance, I’d go with ‘Hip Hip Array,’ But Am I wrong for also wanting to demand a contest to choose a new name for the contest? “Suggest a new name for the Very Large Array!” has absolutely no pop and one exclamation too many.

  • Julien Durand

    The Ear

  • crummett

    Bob. Wait, is this a boy array or a girl array?

    Seriously, what’s wrong with Very Large Array? It has a geeky straightforwardness I’ve always liked.

  • demidan

    The Bose Star Canceling Headphone Array mkII

  • jimh

    Beeper King

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XVXPQFXHBNLZGUKVIYMF6YW3YE Gene

    “Shhh! We’re Listening.”

  • Guest

    Planet Listen-Thing

  • jimh

    The Please Don’t Take My Sunshine Array
    (okay, I stop now)

  • petertrepan

    Name it “The Cloud,” and imply that it’s required for iPhones to function properly.

  • ackpht

    I like the idea of a cosmological unit called the “Sagan”. As for the VLA, my first choice is:

    The Frickin’ Huge Array

  • dogden

    The Very Large Array is an awesome name.  It’s memorable, it describes the very large array perfectly, and it lacks pretention.  Lacking pretention makes the Very Large Array unique.

    Who wants a Saganscope or an iListen or an Al Gore Memorial Satellite Dish Field?  No one!  They want a very large array!  And that’s what you know you’re getting when you use or visit the Very Large Array.Keep the name!

  • http://twitter.com/chuckmonkey2010 Chuck

    Toby.

  • Tim Samson

    This makes me a little sad. I always loved the name of the VLA. I say they keep it. At least there is still the Overwhelmingly Large(OWL) telescope.

  • Ambiguity

    In order to ensure continued funding, I think it needs some kind of TSA tie-in.

    The Alient Invasion Backscatter Protection Array

  • Doug Madden

    skynet? 

  • oohShiny

    I dunno, we could just name it Carl. Not an acronym, just… you know. Carl. 

    “What’re you doing today?”

    “Ah, I’m going to go see if Carl’s heard from the aliens yet.”

    “Right, cool. Later.”

  • http://halfbakedmaker.org Robert Baruch

    “Bigeyes”. For prefix, I chose “Mr.”

  • JoshP

    I’d go with Sagan Array, something Saganish,etc.  Why..?
    1. Why not?  It personalizes that project and might bring more attention to the SETI and radio telescopy in general.
    2.  Besides neologizing being fun, I think it would be cool if the term ‘Sagan Array’ went into general usage to describe large radio arrays.  If these things proliferate we are going to need a catchier term than, ‘that there clump of giant dishes over there.’  Two birds with one big ass stone.

  • Purplecat

    call it BORAT

    the Bunch Of Radio Astronomy Thingies.

  • Doug Madden

    ocularis infinitum

  • http://halfbakedmaker.org Robert Baruch

    The Space Listening Game

  • Doug Madden

    the Matrix?

  • http://twitter.com/StringsMagGregO Greg Olwell

    The Antennae Formerly Known As The Very Large Array? Or Phil.

  • http://halfbakedmaker.org Robert Baruch

    The Easy Listening Station?
    National Public Radio Receiver?

  • http://shadowfirebird.tumblr.com shadowfirebird

    I suspect that they’re working on an even larger array and are trying to avoid calling it the Even Larger Array, so they need the name.  

    With that in mind, I suggest we rename it the Fairly Large Array.

    Or Emily.

  • dagfooyo

    They should just keep it the VLA.  But if they have to change it I agree it should be named after Sagan.

    Or:

    Up, up, an Array!

  • http://twitter.com/variablerush Bradley Hall

    I suggested GoldenEye.

  • Brainspore

    They should call it the Virgin® Large Array just to see if they can trick Sir Richard Branson into thinking he agreed to pay for the thing.

  • menton

    This is what I submitted:  The Sting Array   (shorthand: the Sting).

  • videobored

    The long time ago in a galaxy far far array…

  • Red Pill Junkie

    Stellar
    Array for
    Universal
    Remote
    Observation
    Network

    • David James

      This reminds me of a gem of an antenna- the SATAN Tracking Antenna (seen here: http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=13923)

  • PhosPhorious

    Over the hills and far array.

  • chrism

    I’m British. How about The Reasonably Large Array?

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_D4T4YNUWZWKI4IKFJUWEVY7CUE Connie

    Larray (Larry) of course. 

  • B.R. Booten

    The Texas Satellite Dish.

  • http://twitter.com/wjcstp Bill Connell

    Array in a Manger

    Home, Home on Array

    Array Bradbury

    or, if they don’t mind moving it… Arraysin’ Arizona

  • demidan

    Big Brother

  • Jim Sedgwick

    Big Boned Array

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Smith/714041653 Jim Smith

      LOL

  • skabob

    Babs’s UVLA – Upgraded Very Large Array

  • UncaScrooge

    Marmaduke.

  • factbased

    How about something ruder, like “Wankel Rotary Array”?

  • John Evans

    The Bucket of Ears

  • Bill Higgins– Beam Jockey

    The 100th birthday of Grote Reber, the eccentric pioneering radio astronomer, is coming up on 22 December.  He worked at times at NRAO’s Green Bank, WV, site, and people there still remember him.  So it might be appropriate to rename it the Reber Array.

  • wiredfool

    The VLA is far larger than either the Overwhelmingly Large Telescope or the Extremely Large Telescope. 

    I still like Array Of Unusual Size.

  • http://twitter.com/MrAaronSwainEsq Aaron Swain

    In all seriousness, I really think it should be renamed to honor either Carl Sagan or Arthur C. Clarke.

  • http://www.paradea.org/notes/ Teirhan

    This is the best comment thread. I <3 you all, boingboing. 

  • Antinous / Moderator

    If they name it Princess Marzipan Fluffytoes, it would save me the trouble of getting another cat.

  • Palomino

    Hypnotized Chicken Ranch

  • Bloo

    Atari Multi-Player Pong

  • Ria Kirkbride

    TWAIN? Technology without an interesting name. Still fairly bland, still fairly apt and still having a touch of geek humour… Or is that a lil too subtle?

  • Keith Benoit

    Norm Array.

  • Keith Benoit

    Pray the Gay Array.

  • Keith Benoit

    Cet obscur objet du désir.

    (In honor of Fernando Array)

  • yeahyeahwhtever

    GFA
    (Giant F**king Array)

  • Keith Benoit

    Always Twirling Array.

  • Keith Benoit

    Norm Array.

  • Keith Benoit

    Glorious Dawn Array?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgiXGELjbc

  • Keith Benoit

    NIMBY Array.

  • whisper dog

    The Not Overcompensating At All Array

    The Quietly Intimidating Array

  • j9c

    Pre-Peak Oil Big Government Oh Hey Wait *Socialist* Expenditure That We Can’t Afford To Run Anymore Now That We’re Out of Cheap Energy, We’ve Trashed Our Country’s Education System and Scientists Are Likely Planning a Mass Exodus to a Self-Respecting Nation That Doesn’t Consider Ketchup a Vegetable in School Lunch Programs and Creationism a Serious Alternative To Evolution in School Curricula… Array.

    Sorry, kinda drawing a blank on the acronym here.

  • Dom

    The Harpo Marx Memorial Array, out of respect for the great man.

  • http://www.aculei.net/~eredien/ CP-S

    The Lewis Thomas Array:

    “Perhaps the safest thing to do at the outset, if technology permits, is
    to send music. This language may be the best we have for explaining what
    we are like to others in space, with least ambiguity. I would vote for
    Bach, all of Bach, streamed out into space, over and over again. We
    would be bragging of course, but it is surely excusable to put the best
    possible face on at the beginning of such an acquaintance. We can tell
    the harder truths later.” – Lewis Thomas, ‘Ceti,’ “The Lives of a Cell”

  • niktemadur

    Standing Far Back When The Gravitas Was Handed Out

  • bill50

    BIG EAR

  • bill50

    big EAR         Earth    Array  Receiver

  • tw1515tw

    The Hurry up (h) Array

  • Sooper8

    I like Valerie…and on the opening day we could blast out ‘Valerie’ by the Zutons (or Amy Whitehouse if you prefer)

  • Adam S.

    Very Very Large Array

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Smith/714041653 Jim Smith

    Indis Array
    Stargate

    Seriously though everyone knows it as the VLA and it has the benefit of being descriptive.

  • noah django

    God’s iPod

  • Rah El

    The Alien Fishnet.

  • B A

    Wok Town

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Smith/714041653 Jim Smith

    Fixed Array of Radio Telescopes

  • Daemonworks

    Recently Improved Relay

  • stib

    Don’t know about a new name, but just looking at the wikipedia page, it could do with some lovin’. eg:

    Popular culture

    The image of the VLA has become nearly iconic in American culture,
    though most persons do not know where it is located or what exactly it
    does. But it has appeared in much of pop culture since its construction

  • borkbork

    new Array[n..MAX_INT]

  • Andy Ribaudo

    Jodie Foster’s Army

  • AlanJCastonguay

    How about the Very Large Array.

    • Andy Ribaudo

      That’s what I submitted on the VLA website — they give you an option to add a prefix to “Very Large Array” so I used “The” as my prefix.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Vaughn-Stegeman/100000427940388 Vaughn Stegeman

    While I see no need to change the name really, I gotta boost the Carl Sagan Array (CSA) idea … He deserves it, and the VLA is an appropriate science instrument to honor him with.
    Carl Sagan Array, vote it up!! :D :D

  • emo hex

     Carl Sagan’s Kitchen

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tim-Quinn/528943941 Tim Quinn

    The Big Sky Camera

  • show me

    Name it after Maggie – the Baker Interferometric Telescope Coordinating the Heavens.

  • http://www.facebook.com/JackMyersPhotography Jack Myers

    Peter Johnson.  

  • LucusAnon

    “OFKAVLA”
    (the Observatory Formerly Known As the Very Large Array).

  • LucusAnon

    … or “ROFKAVLA”
    (the Radioastronomy Observatory Formerly Known As the Very Large Array).

  • LucusAnon

    “VLADIMIR”
    (Very Large Array Definitively Improved by Major Infrastructure Replacement)

  • Corey Waldron

    arraydiohead?

    … Although in my heart I think Carl Sagan deserves the namesake for sure… 

  • http://www.xradiograph.com/ OtherMichael

    Drop the “Very” entirely, and recurse it: the VLA Large Array

  • Oskar Wallgren

    Oskar