Readjusting the GBT’s Surface

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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

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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.
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