Green Bank Telescope

The Green Bank Observatory is located in the town of Green Bank in the U.S. state of West Virginia.

It is part of the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope ( GBT), one of the largest radio telescopes in the world, which is operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. With the commissioning of it repressed after 29 years of the German Effelsberg radio telescope from the top of the largest fully steerable radio telescopes in the world. The GBT is located in the National Radio Quiet Zone, strictly regulated the operation of most sources of radio stations in, or is prohibited. At close range, only diesel vehicles are permitted because they do not have spark plugs.

In November 1961, the first SETI conference of scientists from various fields took place at the Green Bank Observatory. There was a possible life in the universe, and the search then discussed. One result of this meeting is the so-called Drake equation.

In addition to the Green Bank Telescope, there are at the site of the observatory still a number of other older radio telescopes, which are sometimes used even for scientific projects or for training purposes. There is a new visitor center with exhibitions about radio astronomy and the history of the site Greenbank. The observatory has its own airfield.