Snow Settles on the 300-foot

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Snow Settles on the 300-foot

Although the surface of the 300-foot telescope in Green Bank, west Virginia was made of aluminum mesh, it still gathered snow. To remove it, telescope operators could dip the dish and hope the snow slid off, shovel it off, or try more creative means of releasing the burden from the dish. One method used was lighting fires underneath the mesh; however, these were soon extinguished by their own successful snow melting prowess. Another technique was an early form of industrial snow-blower — a Rolls-Royce jet engine!

Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

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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.
	The U.S. 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..."
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