The Arecibo Observatory reflector dish suffered damage from a broken cable.
University of Central Florida
It’s a sad day for the astronomy world. The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico — home to an epic 305-meter (1,000-foot) telescope dish — is saying goodbye. The observatory suffered serious structural damage when a cable failed in August, and it’s only gotten worse.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on Thursday that it’ll begin plans to decommission the telescope, ending the device’s 57 years of service.
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“The decision comes after NSF evaluated multiple assessments by independent engineering companies that found the telescope structure is in danger of a catastrophic failure and its cables may no longer be capable of carrying the loads they were designed to support,” the NSF said in a statement.
A massive gash in the Arecibo Observatory dish is visible in this November 2020 image.
University of Central Florida
A second cable failed in early November. This one was a main cable and it broke and fell into the reflector dish, damaging both the dish and other cables nearby. The cables were designed to support a 900-ton platform that hangs 450 feet above the dish.
“Each of the structure’s remaining cables is now supporting more weight than before, increasing the likelihood of another cable failure, which would likely result in the collapse of the entire structure,” the University of Central Florida said in a statement on Nov. 13. UCF manages the facility for the National Science Foundation.
The observatory was the backdrop to a dramatic fight scene in the 1995 James Bond movie GoldenEye with Pierce Brosnan. It also appeared in the 1997 Jodie Foster movie Contact. But Arecibo’s true legacy lies in the many scientific discoveries it made possible. It explored pulsars, expanded our knowledge of Mercury, spotted exoplanets and found fast radio bursts.
Scientists took to Twitter to mourn the observatory. “This is such a huge scientific gut punch. The end of an era,” said planetary scientist Tanya Harrison.
This is such a huge scientific gut punch. The end of an era. 😢
Definitely going to be pouring one out for Arecibo while watching Contact tomorrow night in memorium.https://t.co/KWs1AOPzCl
— Dr. Tanya Harrison (@tanyaofmars) November 19, 2020
Field geophysicist Mika McKinnon tweeted, “I’m stunned that we’re losing Arecibo. Even if you don’t pay much attention to ground-based astronomy, you know this telescope from pop culture & movies. It’s somewhere special.”
I’m stunned that we’re losing Arecibo.
Even if you don’t pay much attention to ground-based astronomy, you know this telescope from pop culture & movies. It’s somewhere special. https://t.co/hNYFKI4lcg
— Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) November 19, 2020
The NSF decommissioning plan will focus on the telescope while attempting to preserve surrounding observatory structures. “When all necessary preparations have been made, the telescope would be subject to a controlled disassembly,” the foundation said.
