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The '''[[Arecibo Telescope]]''' was a {{cvt|305|m|ft|sigfig=2}} [[spherical reflector]] [[radio telescope]] built into a natural [[sinkhole]] at the [[Arecibo Observatory]] located near [[Arecibo, Puerto Rico]]. A cable-mount steerable [[receiver (radio)|receiver]] and several [[radar]] transmitters for emitting signals were mounted {{convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} above the [[dish antenna|dish]]. Completed in November 1963, the Arecibo Telescope was the world's largest single-aperture telescope for 53 years, until it was surpassed in July 2016 by the [[Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope]] (FAST) in [[Guizhou]], [[China]]. Following a long [[Arecibo_Telescope#2020_damage,_decommissioning_plans,_and_collapse|period of declining maintenance]] exacerbated by [[Hurricane Maria]] and two earthquakes, the Arecibo Telescope suffered a catastrophic failure that culminated in the collapse of the receiver platform at around 6:55 a.m. AST (10:55 UTC) on December 1, 2020 |
The '''[[Arecibo Telescope]]''' was a {{cvt|305|m|ft|sigfig=2}} [[spherical reflector]] [[radio telescope]] built into a natural [[sinkhole]] at the [[Arecibo Observatory]] located near [[Arecibo, Puerto Rico]]. A cable-mount steerable [[receiver (radio)|receiver]] and several [[radar]] transmitters for emitting signals were mounted {{convert|150|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} above the [[dish antenna|dish]]. Completed in November 1963, the Arecibo Telescope was the world's largest single-aperture telescope for 53 years, until it was surpassed in July 2016 by the [[Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope]] (FAST) in [[Guizhou]], [[China]]. Following a long [[Arecibo_Telescope#2020_damage,_decommissioning_plans,_and_collapse|period of declining maintenance]] exacerbated by [[Hurricane Maria]] and two earthquakes, the Arecibo Telescope's receiver cables suffered a catastrophic failure that culminated in the collapse of the receiver platform at around 6:55 a.m. AST (10:55 UTC) on December 1, 2020. The collapse of the receiver structure and cables onto the dish caused extensive additional damage, and ultimately resulted in the decision to demolish the remaining structure in 2022. |
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Revision as of 13:23, 6 September 2023
The Arecibo Telescope was a 305 m (1,000 ft) spherical reflector radio telescope built into a natural sinkhole at the Arecibo Observatory located near Arecibo, Puerto Rico. A cable-mount steerable receiver and several radar transmitters for emitting signals were mounted 150 m (492 ft) above the dish. Completed in November 1963, the Arecibo Telescope was the world's largest single-aperture telescope for 53 years, until it was surpassed in July 2016 by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in Guizhou, China. Following a long period of declining maintenance exacerbated by Hurricane Maria and two earthquakes, the Arecibo Telescope's receiver cables suffered a catastrophic failure that culminated in the collapse of the receiver platform at around 6:55 a.m. AST (10:55 UTC) on December 1, 2020. The collapse of the receiver structure and cables onto the dish caused extensive additional damage, and ultimately resulted in the decision to demolish the remaining structure in 2022.Video credit: National Science Foundation