The story of one "small" observatory or how the Arecibo era ended

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Astrophysicist and science popularizer Carl Sagan believed that radio astronomy would allow us to detect extraterrestrial civilizations. Sagan described his vision of the possible future of humanity in the science fiction novel “Contact”, the main character of which, a young radio astronomer, caught an encrypted alien message. In general, when talking about both the book and the film adaptation of the same name, one cannot help but mention the Arecibo Observatory, located in Puerto Rico, because that is where the novel takes place. Moreover, over the 57 years of its existence, Arecibo, located at an altitude of 497 meters above sea level, has allowed many prominent researchers to make scientific discoveries and even send a message into space, which is called the “Arecibo message”. Unfortunately, this amazing observatory no longer exists - on the morning of December 1, 2020, a huge radio telescope unexpectedly collapsed. We tell you what the observatory named after the city of Arecibo gave to the world.



The Arecibo Observatory has been collecting invaluable portugal number data data listening for mysterious radio signals coming from the far reaches of the universe. This is a very sad event for astronomy.

The story of one observatory
Perhaps the most profound loss in modern science has yet to be experienced. For nearly six decades, the Arecibo Observatory was a vital resource for radio astronomy and planetary research. It also held immense cultural significance for Puerto Ricans. Many have said that the observatory inspired them to pursue careers in science and engineering.



Built in 1963, the Arecibo telescope was used for research in radio astronomy, atmospheric physics, and radar observations of objects in the Solar System. It is noteworthy that the original purpose of the observatory was to study the Earth's ionosphere - a shell of energetic particles in the upper atmosphere. But Arecibo also emitted signals into space and received them from space - it was this ability that allowed scientists to obtain new data about the planets of the Solar System. Thus, in 1967, astronomers discovered that the planet Mercury rotates in 59 days, and not in 88, as previously believed.

For scientists, the observatory in Puerto Rico was the most powerful radar on the planet, capable of mapping asteroids and planets from afar and unlocking the secrets of the ionosphere. More recently, the Arecibo telescope has been tracking pulsars across the galaxy, looking for signs of gravitational wave interference. The observatory has also been a center for the search for extraterrestrial civilizations, and astronomers have used it to track killer asteroids.