The Green Bank Observatory (previously National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank) is an astronomical observatory located in the

National Radio Quiet Zone The National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) is a large area of land in the United States designated as a radio quiet zone, in which radio transmissions are restricted by law to facilitate scientific research and the gathering of military intelligence ...

Green Bank A green bank (sometimes referred to as green investment bank, clean energy finance authority, or clean energy finance corporation) is a financial institution, typically public or quasi-public, that uses innovative financing techniques and market ...

, West Virginia, U.S. It is the operator of the

Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in Green Bank, West Virginia, US is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, surpassing the Effelsberg 100-m Radio Telescope in Germany. The Green Bank site was part of the National Radi ...

, the world's largest fully steerable

radio telescope A radio telescope is a specialized antenna and radio receiver used to detect radio waves from astronomical radio sources in the sky. Radio telescopes are the main observing instrument used in radio astronomy, which studies the radio frequency ...

. The observatory was established as the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

's (NSF) National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in 1956 and made its first observations in 1958. It served as the NRAO's headquarters until 1966, after which the facility was known as the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank. In October 2016, the observatory became an independent institution following a 2012 recommendation that the NSF fully divest itself from the facility by October 1, 2016. Green Bank Observatory subsequently retained partial NSF funding, established private contracts, and formed a partnership with

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...

. It is operated by the

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Associated Universities, Inc. Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) is a research management corporation that builds and operates facilities for the research community. AUI is a non-profit organization, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, headquartered in Washington, DC. T ...

, under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

Active telescopes

* 140 Foot (43m) Telescope * 20 Meter Telescope * 40 Foot Telescope

Historic and other telescopes

300 foot Radio Telescope before collapsed

* 300 Foot Radio Telescope – suddenly collapsed in November 1988, from the loss of a

gusset plate Gusset plate is a plate for connecting beams and girders to columns. A gusset plate can be fastened to a permanent member either by bolts, rivets or welding or a combination of the three. They are used in bridges and buildings, as well as oth ...

* Green Bank Interferometer * Reber Radio Telescope – designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1989 * Howard E. Tatel Radio Telescope — utilized in

Project Ozma Project Ozma was a search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) experiment started in 1960 by Cornell University astronomer Frank Drake, at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank at Green Bank, West Virginia. The object of the e ...

in 1960, the first search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) with a

* 45 Foot Telescope

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control Radio observatories Astronomy institutes and departments Organizations based in West Virginia Research institutes in West Virginia Research institutes established in 1956 Scientific organizations established in 1956 1956 establishments in West Virginia National Science Foundation Buildings and structures in Pocahontas County, West Virginia

Active telescopes

Historic and other telescopes

See also

References

External links