Ricordo Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 The Arecibo Observatory was an observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, also known as the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC). It remains owned by the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The main instrument of the observatory was the Arecibo Telescope, a 305 m (1,000 ft) spherical reflector dish built into a natural sinkhole, a cable-mount steerable receiver mounted 150 m (492 ft) above the dish, and several radar transmitters for emitting signals. For more than 50 years, the Arecibo Telescope was the world's largest single-aperture telescope, surpassed in July 2016 by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in China. Today, the entire structure collapsed, and the telescope became inoperational. In popular culture, it was used as a filming location in the films GoldenEye (1995), Species (1995), and Contact (1997) (based on Carl Sagan's novel of the same name which also featured the observatory), and in The X-Files television episode "Little Green Men". 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Turn it into a large swimming pool. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Willie-Pete should buy this and re-purpose it. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 But the big question is.....Willie? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheygriz Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 We can re-build it. Bigger, faster, better...we have the technology! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Well great. We're going to miss a "telephone" call from the little gray guys. with the big black eyes, from a galaxy far away. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Another cable broke: Note the gigantic focal point that was hanging over the dish...is down. Also known as a feed horn. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Damage from the August cable break: 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rellik Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 (edited) 19 minutes ago, Cheygriz said: We can re-build it. Bigger, faster, better...we have the technology! Is it "velodrome" for bicycle races? I know - ROLLERBALL! Edited December 1, 2020 by Rellik 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rellik Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 9 minutes ago, Historian said: Well great. We're going to miss a "telephone" call from the little gray guys. with the big black eyes, from a galaxy far away. They might be klingons, and I don't mean the poodle kind! Don't you remember you "Outer Limits" briefings on Sat nights? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 2 minutes ago, Rellik said: Don't you remember you "Outer Limits" briefings on Sat nights? Yes, i do! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rellik Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 56 minutes ago, Walt Longmire said: But the big question is.....Willie? Willies's not missing - he just went home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwalchmai Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 My standard goto comment about all things PR is "Sure would make a dandy bombing test range." 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minervadoe Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 (edited) https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/arecibo-observatory-in-puerto-rico-collapses-weeks-after-suffering-major-damage-the-weather-channel/ar-BB1bwR5N Quote In August, an auxiliary cable snapped, ripping a 100-foot gash on the reflector dish, which is 1,000 feet in diameter. Officials shut down the observatory temporarily. Quote Then, early last month, a main cable broke. That led the National Science Foundation to declare it planned to close the radio telescope because the damage was too great. The observatory had been operating for more than 50 years. Quote Battered for decades by hurricanes, storms and earthquakes, the cable breaks were the latest blow to one of the world's most powerful radio telescopes. https://www.syracuse.com/us-news/2020/12/arecibo-observatory-huge-puerto-rico-radio-telescope-collapses-due-to-damage.html Quote The telescope’s 900-ton receiver platform fell onto the reflector dish more than 400 feet below. https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2020/12/01/Iconic-dome-at-Arecibo-Observatory-collapses/3861606831206/ Quote One of three skyscraper-tall towers that supported the dome broke about halfway up. Quote "The tops of the towers sheared off and the azimuth and dome sheared off the platform," said Lugo, who led a coalition managing the facility for the University of Central Florida in Orlando. "No one was injured. [We are] performing our assessment now." Edited December 1, 2020 by minervadoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt Longmire Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 1 hour ago, Cheygriz said: We can re-build it. Bigger, faster, better...we have the technology! Build. Back. Better? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmohme Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 It is a shame to see it gone, but I think the dish probably exceeded its expected useful life by a good bit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricordo Posted December 1, 2020 Author Share Posted December 1, 2020 The silver lining is that bits and pieces can be sold as souvenirs to ET without violating the Prime Directive. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave514 Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Damn you, coronavirus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunboat1 Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 Lack of proper maintenance will do that....... 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueiron Posted December 1, 2020 Share Posted December 1, 2020 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holyjohnson Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 so has Everything in Puerto Rico Officially fallen apart or is there still anything left Complete? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadbart Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 (edited) Don't those assholes know anything about preventative maintenance??? I'm sorry, but the Saltwater Mexicans really aren't doing their part here lately. Cut em loose or make em a state. Edited December 2, 2020 by tadbart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerbie18 Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 (edited) China opened a much larger version four years ago, taking the world record away from the USA anyway. 500 meters wide is one hell of a satellite dish. That means that if E.T. makes a phone call, the Chinese will likely be the first to have contact. Edited December 2, 2020 by kerbie18 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willie-pete Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 1 hour ago, tadbart said: Don't those assholes know anything about preventative maintenance??? I'm sorry, but the Saltwater Mexicans really aren't doing their part here lately. Cut em loose or make em a state. I'm thinking " Just cut them loose ". The last thing we need now is another democratic state. 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pittpa Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 900 tons falling 400 feet. What is the muzzle energy (absent a muzzle)? That must be earthquake magnitude. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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