Green Bank Telescope

Green Bank Telescope

The Green Bank Telescope
Alternative names	GBT
Named after	Robert Byrd
Part of	Green Bank Observatory National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Location(s)	Green Bank, United States National Radio Quiet Zone, Pocahontas County, US
Coordinates	38°25′59″N 79°50′23″W / 38.4331211°N 79.839835°W / 38.4331211; -79.839835
Organization	Green Bank Observatory National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Observing time	365 nights per year
Built	1990–2000
First light	23 August 2000
Telescope style	Gregorian telescope radio telescope
Diameter	100 m (328 ft 1 in)
Collecting area	2.34 acres (102,000 sq ft)
Focal length	60 m (196 ft 10 in)
Website	greenbankobservatory.org/science/telescopes/gbt/
Location of Green Bank Telescope
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[edit on Wikidata]

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in Green Bank, West Virginia, US is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope,^[1] surpassing the Effelsberg 100-m Radio Telescope in Germany.^[2] The Green Bank site was part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) until September 30, 2016. Since October 1, 2016, the telescope has been operated by the independent Green Bank Observatory.^[3] The telescope's name honors the late Senator Robert C. Byrd who represented West Virginia and who pushed the funding of the telescope through Congress.

The Green Bank Telescope operates at meter to millimeter wavelengths. Its 100-meter diameter collecting area, unblocked aperture, and good surface accuracy provide superb sensitivity across the telescope's full 0.1–116 GHz operating range. The GBT is fully steerable, and 85 percent of the local celestial hemisphere is accessible. It is used for astronomy about 6500 hours every year, with 2000–3000 hours per year going to high-frequency science. Part of the scientific strength of the GBT is its flexibility and ease of use, allowing for rapid response to new scientific ideas. It is scheduled dynamically to match project needs to the available weather. The GBT is also readily reconfigured with new and experimental hardware. The high-sensitivity mapping capability of the GBT makes it a vital complement to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, the Expanded Very Large Array, the Very Long Baseline Array, and other high-angular resolution interferometers. Facilities of the Green Bank Observatory are also used for other scientific research, for many programs in education and public outreach, and for training students and teachers.

The telescope began regular science operations in 2001, making it one of the newest astronomical facilities of the US National Science Foundation (NSF). It was constructed following the collapse of a previous telescope at Green Bank, the 300 Foot Radio Telescope, a 90.44 m paraboloid that began observations in October 1961.^[4] This previous telescope collapsed on 15 November 1988 due to the failure of a gusset plate in the box girder assembly, which was a key component for the structural integrity of the telescope.^[5][6]