Green Bank Telescope The GBT Control Room which is a large Faraday Cageįinally, we learned about EMITT – the Electro-Magnetic Interference Tracking Truck. Here’s the Green Bank Telescope as seen from the visitor’s center and the observation deck. Here’s the National Radio Quiet Zone which includes parts of 3 different states. At 485 feet, it’s taller than the Statue of Liberty. It can receive radio waves that have wavelengths between 3 meters and 3mm. The GBT’s dish is 2.3 acres big (it can hold 2 football fields within it) and each of its 90+ panels can be adjusted within 0.1mm to perfect the positioning of the dish to collect the waves in the receiver. They’re all named for the size of their dish, with the exception of the Green Bank Telescope. Here’s what the telescopes look like though. The gift shop sells disposable film cameras if you’d like to take photos as you go around. When you get beyond the gate, unless you have a film camera you can’t get pictures. Any vehicles that operate beyond the gate are also diesel because even spark plugs interfere with the telescopes. You can also do this as a walking tour for free, but the tech rules still apply. If you have something like a Fitbit that can’t be turned off, it can go in the Faraday Cage on the bus. After you visit the observation deck you have to turn off all devices so they don’t interfere with the quiet sounds the scientists are listening to that come from space. You’re only allowed to take photos at the start of the tour. This is used to explain the Faraday Cage system, a copper box that’s on the tour bus, a large one that surrounds the control room for the GBT telescope and even microwaves for scientists’ lunches!
#GREEN BANK OBSERVATORY LOCATION MOVIE#
There’s a movie about the history of the Green Bank Observatory and an experiment showing how cell phones and key fobs can cause interference with the telescope. Spoiler Alert: The next image has the answer, so if you’re doing the math, don’t look until you’re ready!īefore the tour there’s a presentation in their theater. This work is critical to SETI – the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.
One of the most interesting things we learned was about the Drake Equation which is used to calculate the possible number of communicating civilizations in the universe.
#GREEN BANK OBSERVATORY LOCATION FULL#
We were able to look around the exhibition hall while we waited which is full of activities to bring the science of the Green Bank Observatory to life.
At the time of writing, adult tickets for the tour are only $6. We purchased tickets for a tour starting about an hour after we arrived.
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