These little rollers support the 25-meter dishes of the Very Large Array antennas. Periodically, the antennas must be separated and these rollers removed for inspection, greasing, or replacing.
Ultimate Snow Blower
Shortly after the 300-foot telescope was built in Green Bank, its capacity for collecting snow became legendary. How to remove 2 acres of snow? Tipping the dish sometimes worked, but ice still got trapped in the mesh surface. Lighting fires underneath helped, but the melt soon put out those fires. Then an idea for a snow blower, way before its time, was imagined, and staff got hold of a surplus Rolls-Royce jet engine. A few times in the winter of 1963, this engine was aimed at the dish and snow blown away. However, it was too loud and costly to run, and eventually was no longer used.
Building the 300-foot
In 1961, the 300-foot telescope was under construction in Green Bank, West Virginia. The footings, base, and secondary supports of the telescope are seen here.
Feet of a Giant
In 1961, the 300-foot telescope was under construction in Green Bank, West Virginia.
The footings, base, and secondary supports of the telescope are seen here.
Wireframed 300-foot
By December of 1961, the steel structure of the 300-foot telescope and its dish were in place in Green Bank, West Virginia.
Enormous Spider Web
The 300-foot telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia dips for the cameras after its steel structure is complete. The 300-foot was a transit telescope, meaning that it could only lift and tip, not spin around on its base.