Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory

Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory occupied a peninsula in the Quabbin Reservoir in New Salem, Massachusetts, on land originally part of Prescott, Massachusetts, sitting at an elevation of 306 meters.

About Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory

Known as FCRAO, the observatory was founded in 1969 by the Five College Astronomy Department, a partnership of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College. From the start, it emphasized research, technology development, and the training of both graduate and undergraduate students.

History

FCRAO's initial instrument was a customized low-frequency antenna built to search for pulsars in the galaxy. Instrumentation developed in the observatory's labs contributed to the discovery of the binary pulsar system PSR B1913+16 by Joseph Taylor and Russell Hulse, work for which they received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Telescopes & research

The original antenna was replaced in 1976 by a 14-meter radome-enclosed millimeter-wave telescope, which became the observatory's primary research instrument for radio astronomy.

Location & getting there

The observatory sits on a peninsula in the Quabbin Reservoir, New Salem, Massachusetts, United States, at 306 meters elevation, within the North America region on Star Register.

Visiting Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory

For current access and visiting information, check with the Five College Astronomy Department or the University of Massachusetts Amherst astronomy program directly before planning a trip.

See your named star from here

Radio telescopes like FCRAO's work with precise sky coordinates, the same kind that come with every star named through Star Register. Name a star or browse the star catalogue.