SOCORRO, NM - 1999: These twenty-seven moveable antennas, known as the Very Large Array (VLA), take in radio signals, some extremely faint, from throughout the cosmos, 1999 near Socorro, New Mexico. The VLA is a radio telescope built by the National Science Foundation that came on line in 1980. This facility has enabled scientists to garner detailed images of natural cosmic phenomena, such as new stars being born, galactic collisions, our own solar system and even the suspected black hole at the core of the Milky Way. The questions man has tried to answer by looking to the heavens with such powerful telescopic tools are at the very center of his search for meaning in his individual life as well as meaning in general. It is hoped that the study of the universe, or "cosmology," including how stars, galaxies, black holes, etc. are formed and how they evolve, with more and more complex telescopes driven by more and more complex computers, will answer these questions. But it seems that as each more powerful observatory comes online, yet more probing questions arise. Will we ever uncover the secret of the true nature of the universe and thus the reason for existence in general and our existence in particular? (Photo by Joe McNally/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Hulton Archive Joe McNally