About
Real Science. Real Learning.
Our mission is to teach participants to think like scientists by actively engaging in real NASA missions.
The Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) program empowers students, teachers, and citizen scientists to engage in real scientific research by operating a 34-meter (112-foot) radio telescope from their own computer. In partnership with NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Lewis Center for Educational Research (LCER), GAVRT provides the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge space exploration. Participants work alongside professional scientists, contributing valuable data to ongoing scientific missions and gaining hands-on experience in real scientific research.
Our Vision
Students, educators, and scientists learn together while doing radio astronomy. Students team with scientists to conduct cutting edge research leading to discovery. GAVRT excites K-12 students while accomplishing educational and scientific objectives.
Our Mission
The GAVRT project is a partnership between NASA/JPL and the Lewis Center for Educational Research, striving to inspire and enrich student learning through their active contribution to professional science.
GAVRT Core Goals
- Develop transferable skills.
- Contribute to real science and new knowledge.
Our History
The GAVRT program was created by kindergarten teacher Rick Piercy in 1985. With the help of Dr. Michael Klein, a NASA/JPL scientist, and social support, the program has grown significantly. In 1994, a decommissioned 34-meter radio telescope at NASA's Deep Space Network's Goldstone Complex was repurposed for educational use, marking the beginning of the GAVRT Project.
Our Impact
Since the project's creation, GAVRT has reached over 800 trained teachers and 50,000 students across 350 schools in 43 states, 14 countries, and 3 U.S. territories. The program continues to grow, inspiring students and educators worldwide to engage in real scientific research and discovery.
Get Involved
By joining the GAVRT team, you will:
- Attend a 5-day training course where you will learn the basics of radio astronomy, are taught how to control the telescope, and are provided guidance for use of the program curriculum.
- Work with fellow participants and professional scientists globally to uncover new knowledge about the universe.
- Remotely control a 34-meter, 500-ton radio telescope from your personal computer.
- Access curricula aligned with the A Framework for K-12 Science and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
- Receive ongoing support and answers to questions via interactive website, email, and phone communication.
- Receive support from LCER and JPL throughout the entire process.
- Contribute to the scientific body of knowledge.
Campaigns
Join us and begin to explore the universe through the participation in one of our four current campaigns:
Jupiter Quest:
Monitor the total synchrotron emission from Jupiter on timescales ranging from days to years, which helps us understand high-energy electrons in Jupiter's radiation belts. GAVRT data provide context for Juno microwave radiometer measurements, VLA observations, and observations with larger dishes, all of which show more detail but are less frequent than GAVRT observations.
Black Hole Patrol:
Monitor the radio emission from a set of quasars on timescales ranging from days to years, to help us understand the size and nature of the active radio region near the black hole in those distant galaxies. In addition, monitoring the 6-month variation due to the Earth's motion allows us to use the quasar radio signature to probe the interstellar medium through which the signal travels.
Solar Patrol:
Monitor the Sun, in the form of low-resolution multi-frequency maps, repeated on timescales of hours to years, to study the connection between sunspots and the solar corona. These observations will be combined with higher-resolution interferometric maps from Owens Valley, to fill in angular scales that are not well-covered by the interferometer.
SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence):
Search for extraterrestrial intelligence by looking for narrow-band radio signals that originate from within the galactic plane. Our goal is to cover a significant fraction of the galactic plane (and therefore a smaller but still significant fraction of the stars in our galaxy), and either detect or rule out the presence of narrow-band, continuous, microwave signals within our 200 MHz bandwidth and above our detection threshold.
Mailing List
Join our mailing list to stay informed about our upcoming missions, NASA In Your Neighborhood events, opportunities to participate in citizen science, and our most recent discoveries to help us explore the universe!
Join us in discovering the mysteries of the universe and inspiring the next generation of scientists!