North Carolina Trip IV (Finale): Pit Stop in West Virginia

As a graduate student I had the opportunity to stay in Green Bank, West Virginia several times within a span of 5 years.  On a map Green Bank, WV doesn't look like much.  It's a tiny town in very rural West Virginia. According to the 2010 census, Green Bank has a population of 143!!!  Not exactly a hot spot for visiting.  However, Green Bank has one great thing going for it in that it is the location of one of the few National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) sites.  Green Bank is home to the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT).  The GBT is a radio telescope 100 meters in diameter.  An entire football field can sit on this telescope with room to spare!  It's taller than the statue of liberty and although it isn't the largest telescope in the world (the Arecibo Telescope holds this distinction) it is the largest fully steerable object on land in the world!  That's big!  Below is a personal picture I took of the telescope.  You are not allowed to take digital pictures close to the telescope due to possible radio interference.

Attribution: Jet Propulsion Laboratory [Public domain]

The reason I'm writing about the GBT today is that I had the opportunity to show this facility to my wife and kids.  Given its very rural location I never expected to have the opportunity to show off the telescope I used for part of my PhD work to my family.  Our trip to North Carolina last month provided that opportunity.  Green Bank was not on the direct path home, but a relatively short detour led us here.  They have a very cool science center that my kids loved!  And they provide daily tours every hour down to the telescope.  The numbers tell us that it's big but pictures don't quite illustrate how big it is.  You need to stand next to it to fully comprehend the size of this telescope.  My 5 year old was amazed at its size (although I think she thought the bus ride down to the telescope was cooler since it was her first time on a bus!). 

If you are ever in West Virginia, a detour to Green Bank will not disappoint.  Not only is it a cool facility, but the scenery here is beautiful.  The facility is nestled in a valley between two mountain stretches.  You do need to drive on some curvy mountain roads, but it's well worth it!