
The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT), part of the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia, is the world’s premiere single-dish radio telescope. Between its 100-meter dish (328-foot), unblocked aperture, and excellent surface accuracy, the GBT provides unprecedented sensitivity in the millimeter to meter wavelengths—very high to extremely high frequency (VHF to EHF). Since 2017, it also became one of the main instruments used by Breakthrough Listen and other institutes engaged in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).
(more…)GBT, SETI, & the WOW Signal: the Search Continues…

New radio observations of a distant Sun-like star thought to be a likely source of the famous WOW! signal reveal no evidence that the system harbors anything (or anyone) capable of sending such a signal. Nonetheless, astronomers say the “null result” is an important step in verifying a new, more targeted approach to searching nearby stars for traces of the mysterious WOW! signal.
(more…)Senator Capito’s staffers experience one of world’s largest telescopes, nestled in West Virginia mountains
Congressional staffers on the receiver deck of the GBT overlooking the surface of the 2-acre dish. Photo credit NSF/GBO/Paul Vosteen.
Staffers for West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito left their offices in Washington, D.C. to explore one of the largest telescopes on Earth during their visit to the Green Bank Observatory.
(more…)Scientists Reveal Secrets to Burping Black Hole with the Green Bank Telescope
The National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT) has revealed new information about mysterious radio bubbles surrounding a supermassive black hole.

AAS 241 Special Session — New Windows onto the Universe with the GBT: Asteroids, Exotic Stars, Gaseous Filaments and More
Monday, January 9th, 2023 from 2-3:30 pm (PST) – Room 605/610
Poster sessions highlighted during the Monday morning break (9 am PST)
Join us at our Special Session at the Seattle AAS. Hear from scientists including Steve Croft, Thankful Cromartie, Simon Dicker, Rachel Friesen, Anika Schmiedeke, Kristine Spekkens, and Patrick Taylor!
The GBT’s 100-meter unblocked aperture, active surface, and 0.3-116 GHz frequency coverage makes it one of the most sensitive and flexible astronomy instruments in the world. Having already made history with its myriad of discoveries, the GBT will be vital to the goals and aspirations of the next decades. New instrumentation will be vital to ensure scientists worldwide will be able to maximize the GBT’s potential and meet the aspirational goals described in Pathways to Discovery and Origins, Worlds, and Discovery, the most recent decadal plans for astrophysics. In this session we look at five areas of scientific research which would benefit from new instrumentation – the discovery and study of exotic stellar objects, detection of diffuse inter-galaxy gas, understanding star formation from sub-pc to kpc scales (including at exceptionally low gas densities), understanding the origin, dynamics, and interiors of solar system objects, and the detection of technosignatures. Here we will discuss the current state and future discoveries in these fields and discuss the role the GBT will have in these discoveries. The session will end with a panel discussion looking at the merits of new instruments for the GBT and the prioritization of these instruments.
This Special Session features 7 invited oral presentations as well as contributed iPoster presentations. The oral program and posters appear below (click on titles to see the full abstract).
Oral Presentations
Monday, January 9 from 2 – 3:30 pm (PT) – Room 605/610
Poster Presentations
Monday, January 9 from 9 – 10 am – Exhibit Hall