Op-Ed | Is It Time For A Radio Astronomy National Historic Park?

Editor's note: Jay Cole, an administrator and adjunct faculty member at West Virginia University with scholarly interests in science policy, the history of science and technology, and the impact of science fiction on public opinion, suggests the time has come for a Radio Astronomy National Historic Park. What do you think?

After about a decade of study and planning, a November 2015 Memorandum of Understanding between the secretaries of Interior and Energy established Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Operated jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Park Service, this park consists of three sites: Hanford, Washington; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Each of these sites played an integral role in the development of the atomic bomb and the impact of atomic energy on America since the 1940s. This park represents a new model and is different from many other national historical/historic parks in at least two ways: (1) the park’s focus on science and technology; and (2) the coordination among three very disparately located sites.

I outline briefly this background on Manhattan Project National Historical Park because I believe it can serve as a useful template for the establishment of a similar park focused on radio astronomy. A Radio Astronomy National Historic Park would also focus on science and technology and could also include three sites: Arecibo, Puerto Rico; Green Bank, West Virginia; and the Plains of San Agustin, New Mexico. Each of these sites has played, and continues to play, a vital role in exploring the cosmos and improving the science and technology behind radio astronomy. If the National Park Service were willing to consider another multi-site, science-and-technology-oriented park, I believe one dedicated to radio astronomy would be a great fit and promote public awareness of a very important scientific endeavor with the potential to transform our future.

Our fascination with the cosmos is as old as humanity itself. Unaided gazing into the night sky, looking for patterns or portents, dates back thousands of years. Understanding took a tremendous leap forward with the use of optical telescopes, instruments that magnified images from the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, in the 17th century. On this timeline, radio astronomy is a relatively young science. Focusing on the nonvisible, radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, scientists attempted to detect radio waves from space as early as the 1890s. The first successful detection, however, did not come until 1932, when Karl Jansky at Bell Labs detected radiation from the center of the Milky Way galaxy. 

Over the last 85 years, from studying the origins of the universe to verifying Einstein’s theory of relativity, radio astronomy has emerged as an exciting subfield within astronomy and astrophysics. Enabling its emergence has been the construction of enormous radio astronomy instruments and facilities. For a half-century, the Arecibo Observatory’s radio telescope in Puerto Rico was the world’s largest single-aperture telescope at 1,000 feet (305 meters) in diameter. The Robert C. Byrd Radio Telescope at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia stands 485 feet (148 meters) tall, has a diameter of 328 feet (100 meters), and weighs 16 million pounds. It is the world’s largest fully steerable dish telescope. The Very Large Array, located on the Plains of San Agustin not far from Socorro, New Mexico, consists of 27 different telescopes that, at their widest separation, span a distance of 22 miles (36 kilometers). Not only are these engineering marvels, they are also scientific instruments of tremendous power and sensitivity that make the study of the cosmos possible.

These three facilities — Arecibo, Green Bank, and the Plains of San Agustin — are to radio astronomy what Hanford, Los Alamos, and Oak Ridge were to atomic energy. And while radio astronomy has not had as much impact on American society and culture as atomic energy, that would change in a nanosecond if one of these sites were to receive a signal indicating extraterrestrial intelligence. Indeed, Green Bank is where the systematic search for extraterrestrial intelligence began in 1960. If received, such a signal would transform the human condition forever. 

Even discounting the probability of detecting extraterrestrial life, radio astronomy is responsible for discoveries that shape our understanding of everything from space travel to the nature of time. They provide, in situ, exposure to the rigorous process of conducting research, the magnificent instruments that make such research possible, and the careful application of that research to solve fundamental questions about the universe. The educational and outreach opportunities for visitors of all ages are limitless.   

Inspired, then, by Manhattan Project National Historical Park, I believe it is reasonable to think about Arecibo, Green Bank, and the Plains of San Agustin as three sites making up an “Exploring the Cosmos” National Historic Park. There have already been steps taken down this path: the Arecibo Observatory is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Grote Reber Radio Telescope at Green Bank is designated as a National Historic Landmark. Of course, this path would be long and have many winding turns!

I would appreciate receiving reactions, questions, concerns, and suggestions about this idea. I acknowledge this idea would call for the National Park Service to continue the experiment begun with Manhattan Project National Historical Park and embrace new elements in its mission at a time of worsening budget constraints. Perhaps this is not the time. Perhaps this is too great a divergence from the National Park Service mission. 

At this point, a Radio Astronomy National Historic Park is just a crazy idea — but it can be constructively criticized, tested, improved, and revised through your feedback. I look forward to your comments.