![]() Originally funded by the NSF, the telescope cost almost $95 million to build and began operations in 2001. The enormous machine weighs nearly 17 million pounds (7.7 kilograms) and towers 485 feet (148 m) above the ground, making it taller than the Statue of Liberty. And with a collecting area of more than 2 acres, the telescope can listen to the faintest whispers of the cosmos, studying the most ancient and bizarre phenomenon of the universe. ![]() The hallmark of the Green Bank Observatory today is the GBT, with a diameter of 330 feet (100 m). ![]() According to NRAO, the telescope has detected nearly half of all known molecules that naturally radiate at centimeter wavelengths. The chemical's discovery showed that although life in the universe remains unseen, the ingredients for life are everywhere. In 1969, astronomers using the telescope detected the first complex organic molecule in interstellar space: formaldehyde. "The 140-foot telescope set the stage for modern radio astronomy." "This instrument is truly part of the history of science," said Karen O'Neil, Green Bank site director, in a statement. Related: Star Facts: The Basics of Star Names and Stellar Evolution Equatorial telescopes are aligned with Earth's axis of rotation and follow the path of stars across the sky. In 1965, the observatory completed construction of the 140-foot (43 m) telescope, which remains the largest equatorially mounted telescope in the world. Drake's groundbreaking work would be the first of many advancements in the search for life in the universe at Green Bank. The search came up empty but inspired Drake to estimate the odds of finding intelligent life in our galaxy, and he created the now-famous Drake equation. An artist's impression of the nearby Epsilon Eridani system with an asteroid belt-like debris disk scattered with rocky and icy bodies, along with the gas giant Epsilon Eridani b in the lower right.
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