Night Sky Over the 140-foot Telescope

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Night Sky Over the 140-foot Telescope

The world’s largest polar-aligned telescope is this radio telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia. The telescope’s axis is aimed at Polaris (The North Pole, or area below the North Star) so that it can follow the sky as the Earth spins. In this photograph, we are able to view the 140-foot (43-meter) telescope from the south and lit against the dust-shrouded heart of our Milky Way galaxy.

Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

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The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the 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.
	The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."
	AUI collaborates with the scientific community and research sponsors to plan, build, and operate cutting-edge facilities. We cultivate excellence, deliver value, enhance education, and engage the public.