Green Bank Observatory: Pioneering Radio Astronomy

[Judi Lynn]

By Tim Childers 5 hours ago Science & Astronomy

Reference Article: Facts about the Green Bank Observatory and the enormous Green Bank Telescope.



The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope is the largest fully steerable telescope in the world,
located at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia.(Image: © GBO/AUI/NSF)


Green Bank Observatory, located in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, is home to eight telescopes, including the world's largest fully steerable telescope, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT). The observatory has been a pioneer in modern radio astronomy since its first telescope, the 85-foot (26 meters) Tatel radio telescope, was built in 1959.

The observatory sits within the borders of the 13,000-square-mile (34,000 square kilometers) National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ), where radio transmissions are heavily restricted and regulated to limit interference with the telescopes. The nearby town of Green Bank has been called the quietest town in America, where devices that emit radio waves, including cellphones, Wi-Fi routers and even microwave ovens are outlawed. The radio-free environment allows astronomers to observe sections of the electromagnetic spectrum otherwise drowned out by the constant radio noise we inadvertently create while using modern technology.

"There's nothing else like it in North America and there never will be," said Felix J. Lockman, principal scientist at the Green Bank Observatory. "[The NRQZ] is absolutely critical. It makes Green Bank uniquely suited for radio astronomy."

Pioneers of radio astronomy
In the mid-1950s, the United States was falling behind the rest of the world in radio astronomy because of difficulty finding funding. The cost and scale of building and maintaining a radio observatory capable of advancing the field was beyond the means of any individual institution. But the National Science Foundation (NSF) heeded the requests of the radio astronomy community. In 1957, the NSF dedicated a secluded triangle-shaped valley near the small town of Green Bank to become America's first National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) — what is now the Green Bank Observatory.

More:
https://www.space.com/green-bank-observatory.html

[mitch96]

1. I was there a few years ago...facinating plade

The tour is a must see if you are in that neighborhood.They use diesel vehicles b/c they don't have traditional ignition systems that would make noise. One story related was there was a stray RF noise coming from one area. After much investigation it was found an old electrc blanket was messing up their radio reception signal.... They bought the "offender" a new electric blanke
For an old ham radio operator like me it was a treat..
m

[mitch96]

2. That's fascinating "PLACE"........ fat fingers... nt