CraftingScience

The Green Bank Telescope

The Green Bank Telescope is part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory or NRAO for short. What is special about the Green Bank Telescope is that it is the world’s largest fully steerable radio astronomy telescope.

From the NRAO website:

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, or GBT, is the world’s premiere single-dish radio telescope operating at meter to millimeter wavelengths. Its enormous 100-meter diameter collecting area, its unblocked aperture, and its excellent surface accuracy provide unprecedented sensitivity across the telescope’s full 0.1 – 116 GHz (3.0m – 2.6mm) operating range.

The single focal plane is ideal for rapid, wide-field imaging systems – cameras. Because the GBT has access to 85% of the celestial sphere, it serves as the wide-field imaging complement to ALMA and the EVLA. Its operation is highly efficient, and it is used for astronomy about 6500 hours every year, with 2000-3000 hours per year available to high frequency science.

GBT

I am working on some sample designs of the Green Bank telescope to make into necklaces.

I also just completed a really cool decorative ceramic plate about radio astronomy that dispels the myth that radio astronomers listen to the stars when in actuality they are looking at the cosmos in radio waves. I did that project for my supporters on Patreon and will hopefully share more about that in the coming weeks with a commentary from an actual astronomer but for now, you will have to go to my Patreon page to see images of that particular project.

Here are the images of the ceramic necklaces I am working on.

radio telescopes version 2

radio astro 3

green bank telescopes

radio telescope 2

 

Now, back to the art studio I go!

Amy Roth

Amy Davis Roth (aka Surly Amy) is a multimedia, science-loving artist who resides in Los Angeles, California. She makes Surly-Ramics and is currently in love with pottery. Daily maker of art and leader of Mad Art Lab. Support her on Patreon. Tip Jar is here.

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