Green Bank Telescope (GBT) peeking through the trees in the autumn (WV, Nov 2014) (Alexandr Zaytsev)

Green Bank Telescope (GBT) peeking through the trees in the autumn (WV, Nov 2014)

Near full day visit to the Green Bank Observatory [1] in Green Bank, West Virginia, the home of the world largest (elliptical 100m by 110m aperture) fully steerable radio telescope: Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) [2]. The unique feature of this observatory is a gigantic approx. 107 x 110 sq. mi National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) [3, 4] that is taking a sizable potion of both West Virginia and Virginia states!

Part of the on-site restrictions of the observatory include switching all electronic on site and not using digital cameras anywhere beyond the observation deck of the visitors center, from which is picture was taken on Nov 16, 2014 - single exposure with handheld camera (f=36mm (54mm in 35mm eq.), 1/125s, f/8, ISO 125). The distance to the telescope from this viewpoint by the straight line is about 1.2mi, while the trees are just 0.13mi away.

Another interesting on-site restriction was "diesel engine only" vehicles beyond the gates of NRQZ Zone 1 ("Radio Astronomy Instrument Zone") "to avoid strong broadband emissions from spark plugs" [4]! (The map below is also taken from [4].)

[1] https://greenbankobservatory.org

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bank_Telescope

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Radio_Quiet_Zone

[4] https://greenbankobservatory.org/about/radio-interference/

[5] https://greenbankobservatory.org/science/telescopes/reber-telelescope/

[6] https://public.nrao.edu/gallery/grote-rebers-first-radio-telescope/

Final
Original
B
C
D

B

Title: Grote Reber Telescope [5, 6] on display at the visitors center of the observatory

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C

Title: GBT telescope visible from few miles away from the road to the observatory

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D

Title: GBT telescope (and the 20 Meter Telescope) of the observatory as observed from miles away from a nearby mountain side

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