National Historic Landmark

Horn Antenna

Holmdel, Monmouth County, New Jersey
Listed
December 20, 1989
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89002457

About this property

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. 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. In 1965, while using this antenna, Penzias and Wilson discovered the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR) that permeates the universe. 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.

Location

Holmdel, Monmouth County, New Jersey
40.39086, -74.18482

Categories

SCIENCE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Holmes-Hendrickson House
Industrial
1.3 mi
Longstreet Farm
Industrial
1.5 mi
Kovenhoven
Industrial
1.8 mi
Old Kentuck
Industrial
2.5 mi
Matawan Station
Industrial
2.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Monmouth (approach actions, 1778)
1778Revolutionary War
8.7 mi
Battle of Monmouth Courthouse
1778Revolutionary War
8.7 mi
Battle of Freehold (Monmouth Second Phase)
1778Revolutionary War
9.3 mi
Battle of Monmouth Jun 28 1778
1778Revolutionary War
9.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Horn Antenna listed on the National Register?

Horn Antenna was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 20, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Horn Antenna?

Horn Antenna is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Horn Antenna a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Horn Antenna has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Horn Antenna?

The period of significance for Horn Antenna is recorded as the industrial era.

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