Photo – Page 98 – National Radio Astronomy Observatory

The Great Big Thing

The Green Bank Telescope is 485 feet high. It weighs 17 million pounds and has a dish 2.3 acres across. The GBT is the largest moving structure on land, and the largest fully-steerable telescope in the world. It was completed in 2000 and remains the most accurate and versatile large single-dish telescope in use today.

Looking Rather Festive

The maintenance lights on the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) create this stunning twilight scene in West Virginia.

Great Big Smile

The 2.3-acre dish of the Green Bank Telescope is the largest moving object on land. The GBT’s unique design places its receivers off the edge, at the top in this photo, to keep them from blocking incoming radio waves from hitting the dish.

Bigger than a Barn

The Green Bank Telescope is 485-feet tall and weighs 17 million pounds. The GBT is the largest moving object on land, and is an unmistakable landmark in West Virginia.

GBT at Night

All 2.3 acres of the Green Bank Telescope surface shine under the bright maintenance lights.

Hidden in the Storm

Green Bank, West Virginia gets a lot of snow, and this tipped view of the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is a familiar sight to those who live here. In this position, the 100-meter dish of the world’s largest steerable telescope is less likely to accumulate snow.

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.