Green Bank Observatory facts for kids
| Altitude | 2,684 feet (818 m) |
|---|---|
| Established | November 12, 1956 |
The Green Bank Observatory is a special place in Green Bank, West Virginia, USA. It's an astronomical observatory where scientists use huge telescopes to study space. This observatory is located in a unique area called the United States National Radio Quiet Zone. This means there are very few radio signals from phones or Wi-Fi, which helps the telescopes listen to faint signals from space without interference.
The observatory is home to the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. This is the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world. It can move and point to different parts of the sky to collect radio waves from distant stars and galaxies.
The Green Bank Observatory started in 1956. It was first part of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). It began making observations in 1958. For a while, it was the main office for the NRAO.
In 2016, the observatory became its own independent organization. It still gets some funding from the NSF. It also works with private companies and West Virginia University. A nonprofit group called Associated Universities, Inc. helps run the observatory.
Active Telescopes at Green Bank
The Green Bank Observatory uses several powerful telescopes today. These telescopes help scientists learn more about the universe.
- 100m Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope: This is the biggest telescope here. It's like a giant ear listening to radio waves from space.
- 140 Foot (43m) Telescope: This is another large telescope used for various research projects.
- 20 Meter Telescope: A smaller, but still important, telescope.
- 40 Foot Telescope: This telescope is often used for educational programs.
- One of the CHIME outriggers: This is part of a larger project that maps hydrogen in the universe.
Historic Telescopes and Discoveries
Over the years, Green Bank has had many telescopes. Some of them are no longer active, but they helped make important discoveries.
- 300 Foot Radio Telescope: This was once the world's largest moving telescope. Sadly, it suddenly collapsed in November 1988. This happened because a part called a gusset plate broke.
- Green Bank Interferometer: This was a group of telescopes that worked together.
- Reber Radio Telescope: This telescope is very important in history. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1989.
- 85 foot Howard E. Tatel Radio Telescope: This telescope was used in 1960 for Project Ozma. This was the first time a radio telescope was used to search for signs of life beyond Earth.
- 45 Foot Telescope: Another telescope that contributed to early research.
See also
- List of astronomical observatories
