Arecibo Observatory Damage [View all]
Arecibo Observatory, home of the second largest radio telescope in the world, was badly damaged in 2017 when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. Federal funding for the facility has been cut severely since then, and now a cable holding up the telescope has snapped, damaging the telescope and forcing Arecibo to close.
Arecibo’s importance
The radio telescope at Arecibo does not just observe, as most telescopes do. It is able to transmit radio waves as well. This means that Arecibo can send out signals in case anyone out in the universe is listening, which it does. It also means that Arecibo is able to track asteroids and make sure they are not heading toward a collision with the earth.
The observatory has done this work for more than half a century. It’s an important element of defense against objects in space.
Arecibo is also an important player in research. It was with the help of Arecibo’s telescope that the ice caps of mercury were discovered, the surface of Venus was mapped, and the first binary pulsar was discovered.
Read more: https://www.puertoricoreport.com/arecibo-observatory-damage/#.X1cGhYtOnIU
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