Life in the Quiet Zone

    There’s a reason for the silence in Green Bank. You’ll see it as you drive in. It’s a radio telescope that towers 485 feet above the town. 

    The radio telescope is one of the largest moving things on Earth. Scientists use it to search for radio waves from distant stars and planets. One of its main jobs is to listen for life somewhere in the universe.

    The radio telescope is like a giant ear. It listens for signals that have traveled trillions of miles. By the time those signals get to Earth they can be as hard to hear as a snowflake hitting the ground. A single cell phone signal will drown them out.

    There’s a reason for the silence in Green Bank. It’s a radio telescope. It towers 485 feet above the town.

    The radio telescope is one of the largest moving things on Earth. Scientists use it to search for radio waves from distant stars and planets. They use it to listen for life in space.

    The radio telescope is like a giant ear. It listens for signals that have traveled trillions of miles. By the time they reach Earth, those signals can be as hard to hear as a snowflake hitting the ground. A cell phone signal can drown them out.

    As you drive into Green Bank, you’ll certainly notice the reason for the silence: a radio telescope that towers 485 feet above the town.

    The radio telescope is one of the largest moving objects on Earth. Scientists use it to search for radio waves from distant stars and planets. One of its main purposes is to listen for life somewhere in the universe.

    Like a gigantic ear, the radio telescope listens for signals that have traveled trillions of miles. By the time those signals get to Earth, they can be as difficult to hear as a snowflake hitting the ground. A single cell phone signal can easily drown them out.

    The radio telescope was built in the 1950s. The government created the National Radio Quiet Zone to protect it. The rules are most strict around Green Bank. There, you won’t find a radio station. Cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, and digital cameras are not allowed. 

    Kids in Green Bank aren’t completely cut off from the world. Home computers are connected to the internet through direct lines. But the service is slow. It’s easy enough to look at Instagram. But a YouTube video can take minutes to load. 

    For most people, that’s just fine. Green Bank is in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. Kids spend time outside. They care for pets or farm animals. They play sports.

    And they don’t worry about checking social media 60 times a day.

    Does that sound terrible to you—or kind of nice? 

    The radio telescope was built in the 1950s. The government created the National Radio Quiet Zone to protect it. The rules are strictest around Green Bank. There’s no radio station. Cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, and digital cameras are banned.

    Kids in Green Bank can use the internet. Home computers are connected through direct lines. But the service is slow. A YouTube video can take minutes to load.

    Most people don’t mind. Green Bank is in the mountains. It’s beautiful. Kids spend time outside. They care for animals. They play sports. They don’t check social media much.

    Does that sound awful to you—or kind of nice?

    The radio telescope was built in the 1950s, and the government created the National Radio Quiet Zone to protect it. The rules are strictest around Green Bank. You won’t find a radio station there, and cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, and digital cameras are prohibited.

    Kids in Green Bank aren’t completely cut off from the world—home computers are connected to the internet through direct lines—but their service is slow. It’s easy enough to look at Instagram, but a YouTube video can take minutes to load.

    For the majority of the area’s residents, that’s totally fine. Green Bank is located in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. Kids spend time outdoors, playing sports and caring for pets or farm animals.

    They don’t check social media 60 times a day.

    Does that sound unbearable to you—or kind of nice?