Photo – Page 24 – National Radio Astronomy Observatory

The Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT)

The Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) in the Netherlands is an aligned array of 14 dish-shaped antennas that runs from east to west. Ten of the dishes have a fixed location, while two at the eastern end of the array can be moved on rails. Completed in 1970, this array was an inspiration for the NRAO’s Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico.

WMAP Amplifiers

Centimeter-wave radio astronomy receivers (under 50 GHz) now almost universally use cooled HFET (heterostructure field-effect transistor) amplifiers as the low-noise input amplifier. The NRAO has worked on the development of these amplifiers for many years and is largely responsible for their wide acceptance by the radio astronomy community. We designed and built 120 such amplifiers (seen here) for use on the satellite for mapping the cosmic microwave background radiation, originally called the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) and now known as the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP).

The 36-foot telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona

The 36-foot telescope on Kitt Peak in Arizona was used to map the millimeter-wave Universe from 1968 until the summer of 1968 when it was closed for an extensive upgrade. In January 1984, the telescope was rededicated as the 12-meter Telescope, for its surface had been refined and its receivers improved to increase its abilities to see these shorter-wavelength radio waves. The 12-meter became famous for detecting dozens of molecules in space and inspiring the design of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).

12-foot telescope and Frank Low, Tom Carpenter, Arnold Davidson, and Omar Bowyer

12-foot Telescope Gets a New Feed

One of our three Green Bank-based millimeter-wave telescopes, a 12-foot dish, was used as a testbed for future, larger-scale telescopes from 1963 until 1967. It was an aluminum dish coated in a thin layer of gold, and mounted on a modified surplus radar mount behind the Janksy Lab. In this photo are, left to right, Frank Low, Tom Carpenter, Arnold Davidson, and Omar Bowyer.

Green Bank’s first 12- foot MM-wave telescope

Our first millimeter-wave telescope was this 12-foot dish in Green Bank run by Dr. Frank Drake. The small stone building underneath held the telescope’s control equipment.

Tuscon’s 12-meter Telescope

In 1968, a 36-foot telescope was one of the first major millimeter-wave radio telescope, and it was run on Kitt Peak in Arizona. Its main purpose was to hunt for the chemistry of space, and in many ways is considered astrochemistry’s first workhorse. This photo was taken in January of 1984 after an 18-month hiatus in observing, during which it got a higher-accuracy surface. After this upgrade, the telescope became known as the 12-meter.

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..."
	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.