Millstone/Haystack Crew Clears Zenith Antenna

The heavy snow storm of December 7-8, 1996 dumped 100 tons of wet snow into the Millstone Hill zenith antenna. The mesh sagged under the weight and the outer support columns buckled. Temperatures near freezing prevented a natural meltdown and an approaching storm called for the formation of a work party to clear the snow from the 220-foot dish.

Members of the Haystack and Millstone Hill research and technical groups volunteered to climb into the sagging dish and began pushing the foot-deep snow through the mesh with shovels, feet, and snowblowers.

Staff, support personnel, technicians, students, and visitors joined together to complete the job in six hours. By dark, the antenna was cleared - and awaited the next storm.

The 35 volunteers worked with energy and enthusiasm to save the research antenna which has been a symbol of the Millstone Hill ionospheric research program for over 25 years.

http://www.haystack.edu/~jcf/shovel.htm -- Revised: December 17, 1996
E-mail: jcf@hyperion.haystack.edu