By Arecibo Observatory Telescope in Puerto Rico Collapsed
On December 1, 2020 (Tuesday), Arecibo Observatory’s 305-meter telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed. This was confirmed through a Twitter post by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
“The instrument platform of the 305m telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico fell overnight. No injuries were reported. NSF is working with stakeholders to assess the situation. Our top priority is maintaining safety. NSF will release more details when they are confirmed.”-NSF statement on Twitter
The instrument platform of the 305m telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico fell overnight. No injuries were reported. NSF is working with stakeholders to assess the situation. Our top priority is maintaining safety. NSF will release more details when they are confirmed. pic.twitter.com/Xjbb9hPUgD
— National Science Foundation (@NSF) December 1, 2020
Arecibo Observatory
Here are few details about the Arecibo Observatory Telescope provided by the NSF:
- It was completed in 1963 and stewarded by U.S. National Science Foundation since the 1970s.
- Arecibo Observatory has contributed to many important scientific discoveries which include the following:
- The demonstration of gravitational waves from a binary pulsar
- The first discovery of an extrasolar planet
- Composition of the ionosphere
- The characterization of the properties and orbits of a number of potentially hazardous asteroids
- Arecibo Observatory’s principal observing facilities are located 19 kilometers south of the city of Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
Furthermore, in another tweet of NSF, here’s a photo of the collapse of Arecibo Observatory.
Additional details regarding the collapse at the Arecibo Observatory’s 305-meter telescope are available now at NSF's site: https://t.co/dCYLolC22L
Engineers are on-site. Top priorities are maintaining safety at the site and assessing damage. pic.twitter.com/9mqnBx3dcU
— National Science Foundation (@NSF) December 1, 2020
Footage of the Arecibo Observatory Telescope Collapsing
Here’s a video of the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory telescope provided by NSF.
@NSF just shared video footage of the Arecibo telescope's catastrophic collapse Tuesday morning. It's loud.
(Courtesy of the Arecibo Observatory, an NSF facility) pic.twitter.com/9zvyrUsfJl
— Morgan McFall-Johnsen (@MorganMJohnsen) December 3, 2020
In a Twitter post of NSF, it stated the “NSF is saddened by this development. As we move forward, we will be looking for ways to assist the scientific community and maintain our strong relationship with the people of Puerto Rico.”
Source: National Science Foundation
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