Following its collapse in late 2020, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will not reassemble the giant Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
According to an NSF statement, the organization instead intends to construct a learning facilityemphasizingn STEM teaching and outreach.
History of Arecibo
Space.com said the gigantic radio dish at the Arecibo Observatory was a unique structure since it played a significant role in three distinct scientific disciplines: planetary radar, radio astronomy, and atmospheric investigations.
The telescope's viewing apparatus was suspended from a web-like platform positioned over a huge dish 1,000 feet (305 meters) wide when it was first used in 1963.
Arecibo's problems started in 2017 even though the observatory escaped Hurricane Maria with little damage. A series of earthquakes that shook the island in early 2020 forced the observatory to close temporarilye. However, the facility appeared to be alright for a time.
However, an auxiliary cable collapsed in August 2020, and a second cable failed in November. The cables holding up that platform fell way in December 2020, causing the equipment to collapse through the sensitive dish and destroy the telescope.
This aerial view shows the damage at the Arecibo Observatory after one of the main cables holding the receiver broke in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, on December 1, 2020. - The radio telescope in Puerto Rico, which once starred in a James Bond film, collapsed Tuesday when its 900-ton receiver platform fell 450 feet (140 meters) and smashed onto the radio dish below.
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The NSF said that it intended to destroy the observatory because of concern that others may have followed, endangering Arecibo. But Arecibo caved in on itself before that could happen.
Since then, experts have recommended that the telescope be restored or that a new, more advanced device be constructed there in its stead. Instead, the Arecibo Telescope will be remembered for its decades of recorded data.
Arecibo to be Transformed into STEM Education Center
Instead of starting over, The NSF has chosen to transform the area into a multifunctional center that will be a focal point for STEM education and outreach.
The brand-new educational facility will seek to encourage STEM education and learning while increasing engagement. The center will also work to forge and capitalize on current and future collaborations and promote foundational studies in STEM education.
According to the NSF, the 2020 Decadal Survey for Astronomy and Astrophysics (Astro2020) is one example of how the scientific community has indicated support for an enlarged teaching facility.
"Astro2020 recognized that the observatory has, over the course of its nearly 60-year history, become a highly regarded part of the community for many of Puerto Rico's citizens, serving as a source of pride and local economic benefit while also providing access to training and employment for many in the community," the NSF said (via the Silicon Republic).
The unidentified new facility is scheduled to operate in 2023. To oversee "the education, STEM research, and outreach aspects of the center," the NSF is seeking ideas. According to the Associated Press, the Arecibo fall is still being looked at.
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