Green Bank Telescope (aka GBT) is a fully-steerable radio telescope measuring 100M across, making it one of the largest such telescopes in the world.
GBT sits near the center of the US National Radio Quiet Zone, established in the late 1950s as a way to protect military and scientific radio listening sites. Radio emissions are tightly tracked and managed in the zone, even more so in the 20 mile radius around GBT. Cellphones are not allowed in this zone, radio traffic is limited to emergency, first responders, and law enforcement, and is kept at significantly lower power than one would find elsewhere. Wifi routers are discouraged, and a noisy microwave oven can net you a $50 fine from the FCC.
In addition to its role in project Breakthrough Listen (the search for radio signals indicating intelligent extra-terrestrial life), GBT was used in the discovery of the largest-yet-seen pulsar, PSR J0740+6620
Those who braved the silence to find this site before the hint were:
- Lighthouse
- hhgygy
- Martin de Bock
- Andy McConnell
- Paul Voestermans
- Garfield
- Graham Hedley
- Eloy Cano
- Andreas Meister
- Phil Ower
- Another Em
- Robert
- Bas van Limpt
and after the hint:
- Robin
- LawnBoy
- David Kozina
- Jesus Rodriguez