Jansky Antenna Replica in Green Bank

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Jansky Antenna Replica in Green Bank

Replica of the antenna used by Karl G. Jansky to discover the radio Universe. Affectionately known as “Jansky’s Merry-go-Round,” this antenna’s turntable allowed Jansky to learn the direction of any signal he picked up. It was part of a program by Bell Laboratotries to locate sources of 20.5 MHz radio signals that might interfere with their overseas wireless communications. He located thunderstorms and the famous hiss that he determined came from the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. The discovery was widely publicized, appearing in the New York Times of May 5, 1933.

Grote Reber suggested that this replica be built in Green Bank to exact specification, down to sourcing old Model T tires for the rotation axis.

Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

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Jansky Antenna Replica in Green Bank

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