Radio Astronomy

While driving through rural West Virginia enjoying the spectacular fall foliage and doing the touristy things like riding the Cass Scenic Railroad, I never would have expected to see the world's largest radio telescope tucked in amongst the Appalachian mountains. But there it was, a stunningly surreal bright white mega-antenna peeking over the tree-tops. It is all part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

If you are ever in the Pocahontas County in WV, I highly recommend a visit to this fascinating place. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory contains several very large satellites, but the biggest one is the star of the show, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope. It stands over 300 feet high and has a dish just over 100 meters across. The telescope does not make optical observations like a standard back-yard telescope or the Hubble, instead it listens to very faint radio frequencies. Most objects give off feedback in the form of heat and infrared waves that the dish is able to detect. In order to reduce interference, all the wires and listening equipment built into the receiver must be kept cold... very cold. 15° Kelvin (-432.67° F).

I didn't know any of this, but the usually yawn-able government produced visitor center is surprisingly informative and engaging. They even offer a short lecture describing the equipment, their discoveries, and how it all works. You come away feeling a little bit smarter, and a lot less significant in the big every expanding universe.