Country United States County Pocahontas ZIP codes 24944 Zip code 24944 Local time Thursday 4:05 PM | State West Virginia Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) Area 8.485 km² Population 143 (2010) | |
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Weather 16°C, Wind W at 26 km/h, 20% Humidity | ||
Green Bank is a census-designated place in Pocahontas County in West Virginia's Potomac Highlands inside the Allegheny Mountain Range. Green Bank is located along WV 28. Green Bank is also close to the Snowshoe Mountain ski resort. As of the 2010 census, its population was 143.
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Map of Green Bank, WV, USA
The community was named for a green riverbank near the original town site.
National Radio Quiet Zone
Green Bank is located within the National Radio Quiet Zone, which means that radio transmissions are heavily restricted by law. This policy is enforced by a "radio police man" who uses specialized equipment to detect signals from unauthorized electronics. Green Bank is home to the Green Bank Telescope, the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope, which has been operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) until September 30, 2016. Since October 1, 2016 the Telescope is operated by the Green Bank Observatory, which is no longer part of NRAO. It was at the Green Bank Site, in 1961, that Frank Drake presented the Drake Equation, which was developed to provide an estimate of the total number of detectable extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy.
With Green Bank being located within the Quiet Zone, many people who believe they suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity are finding new homes within its borders. Escape from cellular radiation is the main attraction to Green Bank for these people. As of 2013, an estimated 36 people have moved to Green Bank to escape the effects of electromagnetic hypersensitivity.