Arecibo Observatory – Astronomy Now

Dramatic video shows catastrophic collapse of Arecibo instrument platform

3 December 2020 Astronomy Now

U.S. National Science Foundation releases dramatic video showing dramatic collapse of Arecibo Observatory’s 900-ton instrument platform onto the radio telescope’s huge dish antenna.

Iconic Arecibo Observatory, too unsafe to repair, faces demolition

19 November 2020 Astronomy Now

Engineers conclude the Arecibo Observatory’s 900-ton receiver is too unstable to repair in the wake of a second support cable failure, prompting decision to decommission the facility.

Iconic Arecibo Observatory undergoing detailed structural inspections

11 September 2020 Astronomy Now

The Arecibo Observatory remains off line pending results of detailed structural and safety analyses needed to clear the way for repairs.

Arecibo radio telescope damaged by cable break

11 August 2020 Astronomy Now

Engineers assess damage to Arecibo Observatory’ after a support cable snapped, causing a 30-metre-long gash in its reflector dish.

Arecibo radar returns with asteroid Phaethon images

29 December 2017 Astronomy Now

After several months of downtime since Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico, the Arecibo Observatory Planetary Radar has returned to normal operation, providing the highest-resolution images to date of near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon during its December 2017 close approach to Earth.

Arecibo Observatory will keep scanning the skies

16 November 2017 Stephen Clark

Two months after escaping the destruction brought to Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria, the famed Arecibo Observatory will get a new lease on life as the National Science Foundation seeks funding partners to keep the radio telescope aimed at the cosmos.

Arecibo radar telescope battered by Hurricane Maria

22 September 2017 Stephen Clark

Initial reports from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico indicate powerful winds from Hurricane Maria destroyed an antenna and damaged the radio telescope’s huge 300-metre (1,000-foot) dish reflector, but the bulk of the facility remains intact and workers sheltered there were unharmed.

Officials await damage report from Puerto Rico’s famed Arecibo Observatory

21 September 2017 Stephen Clark

Powerful Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on Wednesday, wrecking buildings and disrupting power and communications across the island, home of the iconic Arecibo Observatory used for radio astronomy research.

Watch asteroid 2014 JO25 brush by Earth on 19 April

17 April 2017 Ade Ashford

A peanut-shaped asteroid almost a mile long known as 2014 JO25 passes within 5 lunar distances of Earth on 19 April — the closest any known space rock of this size has approached our planet since September 2004. We show you how to find this fast-moving potentially hazardous asteroid in small telescopes during the UK night of 19-20 April.

Arecibo radar captures revealing images of Comet 45P

16 February 2017 Stephen Clark

Though not visible to the naked eye or even with binoculars, the green-tailed Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova did not escape the gaze of the world-renowned Arecibo Observatory.