The Green Bank Telescope is threatened to be closed and the quietest town in the United States will no longer be silent. After years of funding, the National Science Foundation plans to close the telescope, but no details have been announced.
Green Bank is a small town in West Virginia in the United States. The town is said to be the quietest town in America since it is located in the middle of the National Radio Quiet Zone. The Quiet Zone has 33,669 square kilometre area where no signal transmissions are allowed. It is where the infamous Green Bank Telescope and US intelligence agency Sugar Grove lies.
According to BBC, Green Bank Telescope is being used in scientific research that includes the sign of communication or activity from extra-terrestrial intelligence. Due to this purpose, Wi-Fi, TV, cellphones are not working in the National Radio Quiet Zone so it will not interfere with any signals than outside from Earth.
However, the National Science Foundation is considering the closure of the Green Bank Telescope. The foundation is in a consultation process to justify if the telescope still needs to operate or not. The decision will be not easy as the Green Bank Telescope is not the only one with this ability, there is also one in Chile.
The closure of Green Bank Telescope does not necessarily mean removing the telescope completely from the Green Bank town. National Science Foundation plans to end the funding instead until the telescope is no longer operational.
On the other hand, Green Bank town has become the destination for people who look for a quiet place, away from being connected to the world. Despite that gadget can't be used in this town in the interest of Green Bank Telescope, it has become a haven to people who thinks digital world is a trap for them, VR Zone reported.
Meanwhile, the residents of Green Bank worry that the closure of Green Bank Telescope could also mean lost jobs as it is one of the largest employers in the country. The residents do not want to stop the operation of the telescope as they believe it is built to produce research for questions that still needs an answer.
