Holmdel Horn Antenna

Holmdel Horn Antenna
Penzias and Wilson standing on the Holmdel Horn Antenna in 1962.
Named afterHolmdel Township Edit this on Wikidata
Location(s)Holmdel Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
Coordinates40°23′27″N 74°11′05″W / 40.39072°N 74.18483°W / 40.39072; -74.18483 Edit this at Wikidata
First light1959 Edit this on Wikidata
Telescope stylecosmic microwave background experiment
horn antenna
radio telescope Edit this on Wikidata
Diameter20 ft (6.1 m) Edit this at Wikidata
Holmdel Horn Antenna is located in the United States
Holmdel Horn Antenna
Location of Holmdel Horn Antenna
Holmdel Horn Antenna
Holmdel Horn Antenna is located in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Holmdel Horn Antenna
Holmdel Horn Antenna is located in New Jersey
Holmdel Horn Antenna
Holmdel Horn Antenna is located in the United States
Holmdel Horn Antenna
Built1959
ArchitectA.B. Crawford[1]
NRHP reference No.89002457
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 20, 1989[2]
Designated NHLDecember 20, 1989[3][4]
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The Holmdel Horn Antenna is a large microwave horn antenna that was used as a satellite communication antenna and radio telescope during the 1960s at the Bell Telephone Laboratories facility located on Crawford Hill in Holmdel Township, New Jersey, United States.[5] It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989 because of its association with the research work of two radio astronomers, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson.[1]

In 1965, while using this antenna, Penzias and Wilson discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) that permeates the universe.[6] This was one of the most important discoveries in physical cosmology since Edwin Hubble demonstrated in the 1920s that the universe was expanding. It provided the evidence that confirmed George Gamow's and Georges Lemaître's "Big Bang" theory of the creation of the universe. This helped change the science of cosmology, the study of the universe's history, from a field for unlimited theoretical speculation into a discipline of direct observation. In 1978 Penzias and Wilson received the Nobel Prize for Physics for their discovery.[7]

  1. ^ a b Butowsky, Harry (May 1, 1989). "Holmdel Horn Antenna". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination. National Park Service.
  2. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  3. ^ "NJ NHL list" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Holmdel Horn Antenna". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. June 23, 2008. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Crawford was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Penzias, A. A.; Wilson, R. W. (July 1965). "A Measurement of Excess Antenna Temperature at 4080 Mc/s". Astrophysical Journal. 142. American Astronomical Society: 419–421. Bibcode:1965ApJ...142..419P. doi:10.1086/148307.
  7. ^ Chown, Marcus (September 29, 1988). "A Cosmic Relic in Three Degrees". New Scientist. pp. 51–52.