1. Both use electromagnetic radiation to collect information about celestial objects. The VLA uses radio waves, while optical telescopes use visible light.
2. Both have a primary objective that collects and focuses the radiation. In the VLA, this is a large array of antennas, while in an optical telescope, it is a single lens or mirror.
3. Both have a secondary objective that further focuses the radiation and directs it to the detector. In the VLA, this is a series of mirrors and lenses, while in an optical telescope, it is a secondary mirror.
4. Both have a detector that converts the radiation into an electrical signal. In the VLA, this is a receiver that detects the radio waves, while in an optical telescope, it is a CCD camera that detects the visible light.
5. Both use computers to process the data and create images. In the VLA, this is done by a correlator, while in an optical telescope, it is done by a computer that processes the images from the CCD camera.