GREEN BANK, W.Va. – In response to the health concerns posed by coronavirus, the Green Bank Observatory will postpone several public programs and events and reduce the visitor programs on site.
The observatory released a statement that said affected programs and events have been removed from its events calendar, and notifications have been added to specific program and event web pages.
The Science Center, café, and gift shop will be closed to visitors starting on Monday, March 16, according to the observatory.
No new reservations for educational programs will be taken for March, April or May 2020, according to the statement.
The observatory said it is still allowing self-guided walking tours of the grounds. Maps are available in the outside kiosk at the Green Bank Science Center.
All operations and observations with active telescopes will continue on site. Prohibitions on the use of digital cameras, cellphones, fitness tracking devices or any device using blue-tooth technology are still in effect, according to the statement. The observatory asks visitors to leave those devices in their cars or at home.
The public programs and events that have been postponed or canceled include:
- Star Labs offered on Sundays, March-May
- March 21, Star Party
- March 21, Family Science Lab
- April 18, Star Party
- April 19, Earth Day
- April 25, Drake Lecture
- April 26-30, Ozma60 Workshop
- May 11-15, Single Dish Remote Observer Training Workshop
- May 16, Star Party
- May 23, Family Science Lab
- May 18-20, GBT Observer Training Workshop
The observatory said educational groups scheduled for visits, and programs that may be affected by this will be contacted directly.
