Turn in your results by 1:30 pm the afternoon of the telescope tour.



Rules of the scavenger hunts:
        1.   Some questions are labeled (F: first timer) and (R: returnee). First time attendees should focus on the "F" questions; returnees on the "R" ones. Everyone should answer the questions without designations. In all cases, return attendees shall not reveal the answers to first timers until sufficient effort is expended. (And, any bribes must be shared 50:50 will the Scavenger Hunt creators.)
        2.   You may consult any source anywhere but please be sure to indicate where you got your information. And watch out for bad websites! Actually, if you find any mis-information, make a note of it for the blog.

UAT12.01 Scavenger Hunt T: Tour of the Arecibo Telescope

This scavenger hunt will explore some interesting facts and trivia during your tour of the telescope. It is divided into three sections that correspond to the three parts of the tour.

The Platform


T.0   How many people are allowed on the catwalk at one time?


T.1   When was the platform repainted? Why was this necessary? What part of the platform was not repainted?


T.2   How many motors control the Gregorian dome? Azimuth arm?


T.3   When was ALFA installed?


T.4   Why is ALFA sometimes covered?


T.5   How are ALFA and other receivers cooled?


T.6   When was the current L-band wide receiver installed?


T.7   Where do the letters "L" and "S" in L-band and S-band come from?


T.8   What power does the S band radar transmit? How much power does it need in all? At what rate is water pumped through the transmitter to cool it?


T.9   What is the power of the 430 MHz transmitter?


T.10   Why is the 430 MHz transmitter located in the control room building while the S band is located in the Gregorian dome?


T.11   What was the last major hurricane to threaten AO? What damage can still be seen while walking on the catwalk as a result?


T.12   What is done to prepare the telescope for a hurricane?

The Dish


T.13   If you run five laps around the dish, about how far have you run?


T.14   What warning sign with a flashing light is posted on the road down to the dish? Why would you want to heed this warning?


T.15   When you're working under the dish, where do you need to be careful about what you say about the telescope operators? (Only wonderful things, of course.)


T.16   How many panels comprise the dish? How is the spherical shape of the dish maintained?


T.17   How many helmets are on the dish? What's the most interesting dropped item on the dish?


T.18   Why isn't the Gregorian dome featured in the movie "Golden Eye"?


T.19   Why are the jacks for the tie downs on cement blocks rather than on the ground? How much do the cement blocks weigh?


T.20   Why is the T4 tie down jack located on a bridge?



The Control Room/Electronics



T.21   What time standard is used at Arecibo? Why is a time standard important?


T.22   How many WAPPs are there? How many WAPP boxes?


T.23   Why is the "interim correlator" called "interim"?


T.24   What former Norwegian director of NAIC planned the Gregorian upgrade?


T.25   When was RG director of the Arecibo Observatory?


T.26 (R)   What current NASA official was known as Mad Dog when he was a member of the Arecibo bowling team that represented Puerto Rico at a tournament in Panama?

This page created by and for the members of the ALFALFA Survey Undergraduate team

Last modified: Mon Jan 9 16:40:47 EST 2012 by Martha... (but Betsey is responsible/to blame for this scavenger hunt)