The Arecibo Observatory was home to one of the most powerful telescopes on the planet. The Gregorian Dome is in the dish and the platform is lying on the edge of another side of the dish. As the 900-ton instrument platform fell, the telescope’s support cables also dropped. Initial findings indicate that the top section of all three of the 305-meter telescope’s support towers broke off and landed outside the area of the dish. We will continue to work with the NSF and other stakeholders to find ways to support the science mission at Arecibo.” We already have engineers on site to help assess the damage and determine the stability and safety of the remaining structure. “Safety of personnel is our number one priority. “We knew this was a possibility, but it is still heartbreaking to see,” says Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president for research at UCF, which manages the facility for the NSF. And weeks after that assessment, the collapse did indeed occur.Ī photo from Augshows damage sustained when the first of two cables failed at the radio telescope site. Based on that assessment, the National Science Foundation decided to decommission the site. Their assessment showed that if some of the remaining cables break, the 900-ton suspended platform above the facility could come crashing down on Arecibo’s iconic 1,000-foot-wide dish. The National Science Foundation (NSF) which oversees Arecibo, assessed the impact of the cable breaks in November and found that the facility’s other cables could also fail soon. In November, a main cable connected to the same support tower, also broke, causing additional damage to the dish and other nearby cables. Image: UCFīack on August 10, an auxiliary cable supporting the radio telescope suddenly snapped, damaging the telescope and creating a structural weakness on the system of cables and towers that suspend the structure in the hills of Puerto Rico. Pictures at the scene showcase the destroyed radio telescope today. territory out of a historic bankruptcy, and seek statehood for the island. He also said the priorities on his plate include crushing Covid-19, kick starting a foundering economy, lead the U.S. Hours after his swearing-in yesterday, Governor Pierluisi declared a “fiscal emergency,” requiring government agencies to cut costs by limiting travel, reducing third-party contracting and refraining from opening new positions, among other measures. It also isn’t clear if the new administration, led by new Governor Pedro Pierluisi as of this weekend, will allocate resources to the endeavor. Experts say a total rebuild today would cost hundreds of millions of dollars. When it was built in 1963, the total cost then was $9.3 million dollars. “The Government of Puerto Rico states, as a matter of public policy, its conviction to the reconstruction of the Arecibo Radio Telescope and the prompt resumption of world class science and education at the Arecibo Observatory,” the executive order states, adding that the government is “assigning and allocating” $8 million to start the reconstruction work. Ellie Arrowa made the radio telescope famous to the masses. Hit movies “Golden Eye” with Pierce Brosnan as James Bond and “Contact” with Jodie Foster as Dr. Outside of science, the telescope was used as a backdrop in motion pictures, potentially inspiring new generations of scientists. It has allowed NASA to fully characterize the precise orbits, sizes, and shapes of some NEOs passing within radar range after they are discovered by wide-field optical telescope survey projects. The planetary radar capability at Arecibo, funded by NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observations Program, has served as one of two major planetary radar capabilities. Arecibo has weathered severe hurricanes and earthquakes in recent years however, structural failures that suddenly popped up in the last few months have doomed it. At 7:55am local time on that day, the massive scientific facility made famous in astronomy circles and in pop culture collapsed, destroying the already damaged site. Image: UCFīefore 2020 ended, outgoing Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced signed an executive order to restore Arecibo which was destroyed in a total structural failure in December 1. Before: Arecibo was an incredible structure made famous for its work in the astronomy fields and by being showcased in pop culture over the decades.
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