A little about Arecibo

Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico One of the most famous and important scientific institutions in the world. The massive dish, which measures a staggering 304.8 meters in size, has played an important role in radio astronomy, atmospheric research and even the search for extraterrestrial life since its launch in 1963. 24 Channels.

• Thanks to Arecibo, the first double pulsar was discovered, Einstein’s theory of general relativity was confirmed, and evidence for the existence of gravitational waves was found.
• The study of pulsars and neutron stars has made it possible to better understand the mechanisms of stellar evolution and the workings of exotic objects.
• Arecibo was one of the few telescopes that could accurately track and map the orbits of near-Earth asteroids. This was critical for assessing potential threats from asteroids and comets.
• Using radar, the observatory examined the surfaces of planets (especially Venus) and other objects in the Solar System. Even before the Magellan mission, the Arecibo telescope helped create detailed maps of Venus through dense clouds.
• Arecibo Observatory participated in the SETI program, which aims to search for radio signals from extraterrestrial civilizations. In 1974, the “Arecibo Message”, whose radio signal encoded information about Earth and humanity, was sent into space from there.
• In addition to space exploration, the observatory also studied the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, especially the ionosphere, which affects radio communications and climate processes.

Arecibo Observatory in spring 2019, before the cables were cut / Photo: UCF Today

Why was Arecibo Observatory special?

• unique design. The telescope was mounted in a natural karst crater, which made it possible to build a giant dish with a diameter of almost 305 meters. When completed it was the largest radio telescope in the world.
• Versatility. It combined the functions of a radio telescope and radar, which made it possible to take images and measure distances to objects. This made Arecibo unique compared to other radio observatories.

Why was Arecibo closed?

The observatory began to experience technical problems due to equipment obsolescence and limited funding:

• One of the main cables broke in August 2020, and another in November.
• Later that month, the National Science Foundation, which oversees Arecibo’s operation, said the failure of two support cables had so destabilized Arecibo’s structure that it could not be repaired without putting builders at significant risk. Thus, it was announced that it is planned to be decommissioned in the near future.
• On November 19, 2020, we received news that the giant slab in Arecibo would have to be completely demolished.
• But it wasn’t destined to happen, because anyway On December 1, a heavy scientific instrument held by severed cables fell to the bottom, damaging the dish. A 30-meter hole was formed inside it.

It hangs down after one of the cables breaks. Drone photo taken on November 6, 2020 / Photo: UCF Today

Although the telescope is no longer operational, its contribution to science will remain important for many years to come. Data collected over decades of studies are still used by scientists for research purposes.

New details emerge in the report

Looking ahead to the famous observatory collapsed due to rotting zinc in the telescope’s cable housings and damage before Hurricane MariaAccording to a report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The Special Committee, which convened to examine the causes of the collapse, prepared a book of approximately 100 pages in which it analyzed every detail of the disaster very meticulously.

The primary cause of the telescope’s destruction was “unprecedented and accelerated long-term failure caused by zinc leaching.” This failure occurred in the telescope’s cable ducts, which are critical pieces of infrastructure that support the 900-ton telescope platform suspended above the antenna. cables began to fail long before the collapsebut apparently no attention was paid to this.

The lack of documented concerns from engineering contractors about the insignificance of cable pulls or safety factors between Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the accident is concerning.
– stated in the report.

The committee concluded: The “sequence of destruction” lasted 39 months and began in the wake of Hurricane Maria in September 2017.. According to the report, investigations following the hurricane found signs of cable slippage, but no one investigated them further or responded.

But that’s not all. As the committee noted, throughout the entire successful use of the Arecibo telescope, all experts agreed that “such a failure in a spelling slot has never before been recorded.” The report continued: “The only hypothesis the committee could develop that provided a plausible but unprovable answer was […] It is an unexpected acceleration of the zinc shift in the sockets under the uniquely powerful electromagnetic radiation of the Arecibo telescope.” In other words, the sockets’ role in suspending such a powerful radio transmitter somehow contributed to the 2020 disaster.

The Arecibo telescope will be demolished in December 2021 / Photo: Tedder/Wikimedia Commons

What’s next?

• In October 2022, the National Science Foundation announced that the facility would be transformed into a STEM-focused education center and is scheduled to open in 2023.
• However, in June 2023, the observatory officially canceled its succession plans.
• In September 2023, the Foundation announced its corporate partners who will lead the transformation of the observatory into an education center. The observatory may never collect radio data again, but it will continue its legacy in one way or another as the epicenter of astronomical discovery.