What Is the Reber Radio Telescope?
This was the first dish-shaped radio telescope ever built!
What Makes It Historical?
Grote Reber was a radio engineer living in Wheaton, Illinois, who was fascinated by how radio waves could be used to pick up objects that were impossible far away! This had only been proven in 1932 by Karl Jansky of Bell Labs, and when Mr. Reber couldn’t get a job at Bell Labs, he spent four months building a radio telescope in his backyard and used it to make his own astronomical observations from 1939 until 1948! During this time, Mr. Reber was the world’s only active radio astronomer!
This 31-foot, $4,000 telescope was no slouch either! With his observations, he confirmed that the Milky Way produces radio radiation and published the very first contour maps of the Milky Way’s radio brightness! He even demonstrated that the sun gave off radio waves, as did distant constellations like Cygnus and Casseopeia! This would go on to launch a whole new field of astronomy!
When Mr. Reber was done with his observations, the telescope began a long journey, first to the National Bureau of Standards in Sterling, Virginia, then to Boulder, Colorado in 1952. It arrived here, in Green Bank, in 1957, and Mr. Reber personally oversaw its reconstruction!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Buy something from the online shop!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
155 Observatory Rd
Green Bank, WV 24944
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
The Green Bank Observatory is open for tours Thursday through Monday from 9:30 AM until 5:30 PM!
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