Green Bank Telescope
From Free net encyclopedia
| Organization | NRAO |
|---|---|
| Location | Green Bank, West Virginia, USA |
| Wavelength regime | radio |
| Webpage | http://www.gb.nrao.edu/GBT/GBT.shtml |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Telescope style | parabolic off-axis reflector |
| Diameter | 110m |
| Collecting area | ~38,000 m² |
| Focal length | (m, ft) |
| Mounting | wheel and track mount |
| Dome | none |
The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) is the world's largest fully mobile radio telescope. It is part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) at Green Bank, West Virginia (USA). The telescope honors the name of Senator Robert C. Byrd.
Contents |
Location
The telescope sits at the heart of the United States national radio quiet zone, a large area where all radio transmissions are either limited or banned outright, to help the telescope function properly.
Description
The surface area of the GBT is 100 by 110 meters with a separate actuator (a small motor used to adjust the position) for each of the 2,004 surface panels. The panels are made from aluminum to a surface accuracy of less than 0.003 inches (76.2 micrometers) RMS.
The telescope is unusual in that the mirror is not a symmetrical dish, but is a section of a much larger parabolic figure with the receiver where the prime focus of the entire mirror would be. As a result, the support for the receiver does not in any way obscure the mirror's view of the sky.