More than 900 tons of receiver at the Arecibo Observatory fall and crush the primary mirror-GIGAZINE



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Decided to dismantle after causing two serious accidents in three monthsArecibo ObservatoryThen a receiver weighing more than 900 tons fell 140 meters, causing an accident that crushed the primary mirror. The observatory has the largest radio telescope in the world with a reflective surface with a diameter of 305 m and the film “007 golden eyeIt was also famous for being the setting for.

The 305-meter telescope at the Arecibo Observatory collapses | NSF – National Science Foundation
https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?org=NSF&cntn_id=301737

The huge instrument platform of the Arecibo radio telescope collapsed | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/12/arecibo-radio-telescopes-massive-instrument-platform-has-collapsed/

The Arecibo telescope has suffered a fatal collapse, breaking it into pieces
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-arecibo-telescope-platform-has-collapsed

Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapses as engineers feared – the Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/1/21754959/arecibo-observatory-platform-collapse-dish-puerto-rico-telescope

The Arecibo Astronomical Observatory is a project to send a message to life forms outside the solar system.Arecibo messageIt is a huge observatory that has been used for the transmission and observation of asteroids. Since it was built in 1963, it has been regarded as the “world’s largest radio telescope” for more than 50 years, but this position is that of China, which was built in 2016.500 m spherical radio telescopeHas been stolen by.

In 2020, there will be two major accidents at the Arecibo Observatory in just three months. The first accident was that the auxiliary steel cable supporting the secondary mirror of the radio telescope was cut and collided with the reflective surface of the primary mirror. The surface and other cables were damaged.

The world’s largest radio telescope causes two major accidents in just three months – GIGAZINE


The Arecibo Astronomical Observatory was planning restoration work, but the National Science Foundation (NSF), which operates the Astronomical Observatory, decided to dismantle it due to the possibility of a serious accident during the restoration.

The world’s largest radio telescope of the “Aresive Astronomical Observatory” will be dismantled after two major accidents in 3 months – GIGAZINE

by Jeff Hitchcock

In this way, another accident occurred at the Arecibo Observatory, which was awaiting the drafting of a dismantling plan. The new accident that occurred around 7:55 a.m. on December 1, 2020 local time, was that a receiver of more than 900 tons suspended in the air fell into the primary mirror 140 meters below, before the accident. The situation (lower side) and after the accident (upper side) are as follows.


If you look at the aerial images taken with the drone after the accident, you can see that part of the primary mirror was destroyed by the fall of the receiver.

The Observatory Collapses Arecibo Puerto Rico – YouTube

The tower that was holding the receiver is completely crushed and the fallen receiver is crushing the main mirror.


This accident caused no human damage and the cause of the accident is still under investigation, but the tops of the three towers supporting the receiver with cables have been found to have collapsed. In addition, the cable has fallen along with the fall of the receiver, and the learning center attached to the Arecibo Observatory has also been seriously damaged.

NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan commented: “I am saddened by this situation, but I am grateful that no one was injured” and from now on I will investigate the damage from the accident and the part that was not damaged He said he plans to find a way to restore the functioning of.

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