Investigation begins after damage to one of the most iconic observers in the world

This week is the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico – an iconic facility made famous by movies like Contact en Goldeneye – had to stop observations of the Universe after a structural cable failed, punching a hole in the giant’s giant reflector dish. Observatory operators say the general facility is mostly good, but they are working to find out exactly what went wrong.

“The majority of that primary reflector is in good shape, but our focus is really on ensuring that the platform has the structural stability needed to operate in the very near future,” said Francisco Cordova, director of the observatory. at the University of Central Florida, said during a press release.

Image: UCF

This morning, Monday, one of the cables that helps hold a large metal platform in place across the observatory was disconnected. The end of the cable slipped out of one of the sockets, causing the three-inch-wide cable to fall to the ground. The incident destroyed about 250 panels enclosing the main reflector dish, leaving a hole of 100 meters in the structure. The crash also has light-damaged panels on the large Gregorian dome above the observatory, a white golf ball-shaped structure that includes reflectors that help direct the observations of the sky into the sky.

Photos of the damage may seem particularly annoying, but Arecibo’s main reflector dish consists of 40,000 panels – making the total destruction very small. However, in the meantime, the observatory could not operate at full capacity. Normally, Arecibo is up and running 24/7, with observations typically taking place between 3pm and 7am every day, according to Cordova. UCF sent out a note to all Arecibo users, informing them that observations have been put on hold for at least a two-week period. However, the team does not know how long it will take to repair the damage – or how much it will cost.

Image: UCF

“These cables are highly customizable for this particular application,” Cordova said. “That they take, you know, a little time to fabricate and ship and install.” They hope to have more information by the end of next week, he says. The Arecibo Observatory is funded by the National Science Foundation.

Currently, the operators at UCF are starting an investigation into the incident, as they do not yet know why the cable is snapped. “This was definitely an unusual event,” Cordova said. “These cables are expected to last at least 15, 20 years at least.” The broken cable was installed more than 20 years ago, Cordova noted, when the Gregorian dome was added to the facility. Investigators are still trying to find the source of the failure. “We have barely begun this endeavor,” Ray Lugo, director of the UCF’s Florida Space Institute and the leadership overseeing the research, said during the news conference. “Our focus at the moment is to make sure we protect our people, and the unique equipment and facilities we have here.”

Arecibo is not only seen in various films, but the observatory is also critical for various observations of deep space, used to search for exotic cosmic objects and events such as pulsars, bursts of radio waves, and more. The dish is also instrumental in planetary defense, helping NASA search for potentially dangerous asteroids in the Earth’s orbits that could pose a threat to our planet. Arecibo also receives special attention for its involvement in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). As part of that project, it scans the skies for potential radio broadcasts of intelligent beings.

Arecibo has also weathered many storms in recent years – both figuratively and literally – and UCF is sure this will only be a slight delay. “We are a pretty skilled gang … I think we have proven that after the impact of Hurricane Maria,” Cordova said. “We’re pretty much tested with some earthquakes and then tested again with this pandemic and now it’s just another blow in the way.”