Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory
Encyclopedia : F : FI : FIV : Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory
The Five College Radio Astronomical Observatory (FCRAO) was founded in 1969 by the Five College Astronomy Department (University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College and Smith College). From its inception, the observatory has emphasized research, the development of technology and the training of students—both graduate and undergraduate. The observatory is located on a peninsula within the Quabbin Reservoir.
The initial FCRAO telescope was a customized low-frequency antenna to search for pulsars in the galaxy. The development of instrumentation within the FCRAO labs contributed to the discovery of the binary pulsar system PSR 1913+16 by Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr. and Russel Hulse and for which they received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Decomissioning?
Because UMass Amherst has recently been devoting its time, energy, and funding to the Large Millimeter Telescope, FCRAO is in the process of being decommissioned as of Spring 2006.[[Citing sources citation needed]] As the land is state-owned and part of the Quabbin Reservoir park, the building including the telescope will have to be removed from the location; no specific plans for removal or destruction yet exist (as of May 2006). Although no official announcement of this development exists on the [FCRAO homepage], the most recently updated page appears to be dated 2002 [link], lending indirect support to the idea that no active research is taking place at FCRAO.
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