Gem in the Rough

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Gem in the Rough

The ball bearing for the 140-foot telescope

This 17.5-foot hemispherical piece is the structural heart of the 140-foot (43-meter) telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia. It supports the full rotating weight of 2700 tons on the .005-inch thick oil film between it and the main hydrostatic pad supports. Cast by General Steel Industries, it weighs in excess of 150 tons– one of the largest steel castings ever poured, certainly the largest ever cast of 3.5% nickel. Its size was limited by the small country railways and tunnels between its casting site in Eddystone, Pennsylvania and the Green Bank site.

Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

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More Historical Radio Telescopes Images & Videos

Night Sky Over the 140-foot Telescope

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The second 85-foot telescope of Green Bank Observatory

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The third 85-foot telescope

Underside of the GBT

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
	Founded in 1956, the NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.
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