Readjusting the GBT’s Surface
Shortly after the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) went online in 2000, measurements of its surface showed that its 2004 aluminum panels needed more tuning to create the dish’s perfect parabolic shape. In an a large group effort, engineers and technicians spent weeks on the 2.3-acre dish manually changing the heights of the corners of each panel until the laser rangefinders mapped a smooth surface. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory built and designed the Green Bank Telescope, but as of October 2016, GBT now operates independently under Green Bank Observatory.
Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF
