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Students Take Field Trip Through the Milky Way Galaxy

[Location] - Students from [institution] traveled to Green Bank, W.Va., and ended up exploring the far reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy. Ensconced in an underground bunker on the grounds of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), these students commanded a 40-foot diameter radio telescope to conduct their own astronomical research.

Rather than studying the stars and bright objects typically observed in optical astronomy, these students detected the natural radio emission coming from [object studied - example the Orion Nebula, or the hydrogen gas that makes up nearly 90 percent of matter in our galaxy].

"[Quote from student or teacher.]"

Cosmic radio waves travel at the speed of light through interstellar space, and can be detected by the sensitive instruments at the Green Bank observatory and other observatories around the globe. Green Bank is unique, however, because it is in the middle of the National Radio Quiet Zone, and also home to the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, or GBT. The GBT is the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope. Taller than the Statue of Liberty with a dish larger than a football field, the GBT also is the most massive moving structure on land and is used by scientists from around the world to study objects such as planets in our own solar system to quasars billions of light-years away.

For this field trip the students were taught how to use a special educational telescope that the observatory maintains to help teach the fundaments of radio astronomy research. "This is the best part of my job," laughed Sue Ann Heatherly, the NRAO's education officer in Green Bank." These students have no fear of electronic gadgetry. They march right in here and take control of the telescope. During their short stay at NRAO, the kids definitely get a feel for what it's like to do astronomy research. Who knows, some of them may become radio astronomers one day."

The students also enjoyed the hands-on experience of the NRAO's new multimillion dollar Science Center.

A centerpiece of the new Science Center is the 4,000 square foot exhibit hall. The exhibits are based around the theme "Catch the Wave!" which highlights both the physics of radio waves, and the fun of being swept along by the interactive displays. These displays are intended to immerse visitors in a real-world research environment, and to allow them to experience the enjoyment and wonder of science and engineering. Among the exhibits are a model of a pulsar that visitors can "take for a spin," wavelength demonstrations of various stripes, a 3-D model of the Constellation of Orion, and a working scale model of the GBT.

"The new science center represents a great leap forward in our ability to provide educational programs in astronomy and radio astronomy. Not only can students and the general public do more, and have more fun while they are here, but we have the space now to accommodate larger groups," said Heatherly.

The NRAO has full-time science educators on staff to guide students through the experience here, and to answer general and technical questions from visitors. The site is located in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, on Routes 92/28, approximately 25 miles north of the city of Marlinton.