The Observatory’s first priority is the safety of staff, students, and leaders. If the Observatory’s safety team deems it unwise for your group to stay overnight with us, we will contact the person who created the reservation at least two weeks before the scheduled visit to cancel, and you will receive a full refund on your deposit.
The Green Bank Observatory offers an overnight experience called “Radio Astronomer for a Day.”
Educational activities are free for educational groups, but there are some costs if you’d like to stay onsite or purchase meals while here and advance reservations are required.
If you have any questions not answered here, feel free to email us at gro.y1747057931rotav1747057931resbo1747057931bg@sn1747057931oitav1747057931reser1747057931 [1].
Educational groups of students 10 years and older can stay overnight with our Radio Astronomer for a Day Program. Educational groups may be:
- A sanctioned school group (5th-12th grade, college/university, etc.) from a recognized school with school personnel chaperones in attendance
- A Home school association, co-op, or club with an adult instructional leader
- A sanctioned extracurricular student club from a recognized organization with the organizations personnel chaperones in attendance; (Civil Air Patrol, FFA, 4-H, Society of Physics Students, Astronomy club, church group, etc.)
- Camp groups from other organizations or museums that are offered at no cost to participants
Scout groups are invited to visit and participate in educational activities during our scheduled Scout Badge Weekends [2].
Undergraduate groups that are participating in RAD as part of a CLASS or COURSE with a professor in attendance (ex: AST 301: observational astronomy) must have a minimum group size of 5 students confirmed at least 2 weeks prior to the reservation. All other educational groups (clubs, 4-H, CAP, etc.) must have a minimum headcount of 10 students confirmed at least 2 weeks prior to the reservation. If the headcount dips below the minimum requirement GBO reserves the right to cancel the trip.
For educational groups involving minors, groups must have child safety policies in place with regard to adult-child interactions to stay overnight in the bunkhouse. All groups should be able to provide documentation outlining these policies upon request.
If you are unsure if a group qualifies, please email gro.y1747057931rotav1747057931resbo1747057931bg@sn1747057931oitav1747057931reser1747057931
Students work in research teams investigate cosmic objects with the 40-Foot radio telescope [3]. They will learn how to use the telescope, and then take data with it overnight. In the morning, students go over their data with a Green Bank educator and figure out what it means and what conclusions we can draw from it.
More in-depth projects are available for groups that stay longer than one night.
When making your reservation please include an estimated arrival and departure time, as well as an estimated headcount. We will create a schedule for activities facilitated by Green Bank Observatory educators using these times and headcount. Educational activities can be scheduled between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
Please make sure to select “Science Center & Educational Activities” in your GBORS [4] request.
Here are real schedules for past groups that have participated in RAD! All RAD trips include an Intro to the 40 ft and hands-on lesson at the telescope, as well as a site tour. Additional educational activities are scheduled depending on time available, grade-levels of participants, and staffing availability.
The Green Bank Observatory hosts Radio Astronomer for a Day groups any time of the year, with the exception of the months of June and July. Groups are welcome to request RAD trips on weekends and weekdays. We do require at least a twenty-four hour stay to allow ample time for 40 ft instruction and use alongside additional educational programming.
We strongly recommend making reservation requests at least 6 months in advance to ensure sufficient time to process and confirm your request. Please allow up to 2 weeks for someone from our team to reach out regarding a request. All requests are subject to availability.
Overnight Accommodations
Please note that lodging is only available for individuals or groups visiting for Scientific Meetings and Workshops, Observatory Business, or Overnight Education Programs.
Groups for Overnight Programs have three options for staying onsite: the bunkhouse [6], the campground, and the residence hall. If you’re interested in staying onsite, make sure to select “Overnight Accommodations” in your GBORS [4] request.
The bunkhouse is our most popular option. It costs $10 per person per night, with a $200 per night minimum (if you’re bringing twenty-one people, that is $210 per night, and so on). A $100 deposit is required. The bunkhouse can hold sixty students, and has two rooms for chaperones. It includes showers and bathrooms.
The campground costs $5 per person per night, with a $150 per night minimum. A $100 deposit is required. Please review the Comet Campground Policy [7] document before camping onsite.
The hotel-style residence hall is best for smaller groups, as we only have a limited number of rooms. See prices below.
| Single room | $75.00/night |
| Double room | $90.00/night |
| Apartment | $125.00/night |
Meals
The Green Bank Observatory has a cafeteria that can provide meals. If you are interested in this option, please select “Meal Services” when you submit your reservation request through the Green Bank Observatory Reservation System (GBORS) [4].
Continental Breakfast is $8/person; lunch is $10/person; and dinner is $12/person.
Payment
A single invoice will be generated for your group including all participants meal and overnight accommodation charges and sent to the GBORS Reservation holder after your visit to GBO. Please ensure there is a single point of contact responsible for collecting any money from RAD participants to facilitate payment.
Use the Green Bank Observatory Reservation System (GBORS) [4] to request a reservation. Make sure to select “Science Center & Educational Activities” when creating your request.
We do suggest getting your reservation requests in as early as possible, especially if your group needs to visit on a weekend.
What if there is hazardous weather? How will this affect my RAD trip?
In the event of observatory closure due to weather all confirmed educational groups/reservations are cancelled for that date. We will reach out as soon as we are informed of closure due to weather.
How do we get to and from the 40 ft telescope?
The 40 ft telescope is located 0.4 miles from the bunkhouse and residence hall. During instruction, students and chaperones are bussed down to the telescope for their hands-on lesson. Afterwards for data collection, students may walk to the telescope, it is about a 10 minute walk. Students are also invited to bring their bikes to GBO for RAD. There are bikes and helmets located in a bike shed that can be used by students to go to and from the telescope as well, with chaperone approval for those under the age of 18. Undergraduate groups with professor chaperones are permitted to use a diesel observatory vehicle upon request, subject to availability.
Can I take pictures at the 40 ft?
Digital photography of any kind – such as using a phone or digital camera – is not permitted as the telescope is located in the Radio Instrument Zone [8] and can cause RFI that disrupts our observations. Film photography – such as using a disposable film camera, or polaroid camera – is allowed and encouraged.
I have or use an electronic device for a medical purpose – can I participate in RAD?
Yes! Devices that are medically necessary for the user, such as a pacemaker or glucose meter, are allowed in the Radio Instrument Zone.
I’m so excited to visit GBO with my school for RAD, but I need to access the internet while I am there – how do I do that?
There are ethernet cables in the bunkhouse chaperone rooms for chaperone use, as well as ethernet cables in the residence hall rooms. The classroom in the Science Center also has ethernet cables available for student and chaperone use. In the Science Center is a Computer Lab that can be used by groups. Some groups may go into the computer lab for programming, while others may not. If you are interested in allowing access to the Computer Lab for your students during their free time, please inquire.
What about safety? How can I contact my students guardians, and how can they get in contact with us?
There are landline phones across the site available for student and chaperone use, including in the bunkhouse, at the Science Center, and in the 40 ft telescope. Students will be instructed how to contact help in the case of an emergency down at the telescope. If a guardian needs to reach a student for any reason they can call the Science Center at 304-456-2150 as this is where most programming takes place.