World's largest fully steerable radio telescope in West Virginia

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in Green Bank, West Virginia, US is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, surpassing the Effelsberg 100-m Radio Telescope in Germany. This marvel of technology, nestled amidst the quiet hills of West Virginia, began regular science operations in 2001. It sits near the heart of the United States National Radio Quiet Zone, where authorities limit radio transmissions to avoid emissions toward the GBT.

The telescope operates at meter to millimeter wavelengths, with a 100-meter-diameter collecting area that provides superb sensitivity. 85 percent of the local celestial hemisphere is accessible, and 6500 hours out of the 8760 hours in a year are used for astronomy, with 2000–3000 hours per year going to high-frequency science. The GBT is flexible and easy to use, allowing for rapid response to new scientific ideas and phenomena. It is scheduled dynamically to match project needs to the available weather and is readily reconfigured with new and experimental hardware.

Since October 1, 2016, the telescope has been operated by the independent Green Bank Observatory. Facilities of the Green Bank Observatory are used for scientific research, for many programs in education and public outreach, and for training students and teachers. The location receives about 40,000 visitors each year.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons