Experts Propose to Build a Next-Generation Telescope After the Collapse of the 60-Year-old Arecibo Observatory

Various modern tools allowed astronomers to study our celestial neighbors and the far regions of the universe. One of these iconic astronomical instruments is the Arecibo Telescope, considered the second-largest single-dish radio telescope until its sudden destruction in December 2020.

What Happened to the Arecibo Observatory?

The Arecibo Observatory is an astronomical lookout station located 10 miles south of Arecibo in Puerto Rico. Owned by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), it was formerly known as the Arecibo Ionosphere Observatory. The station was opened on November 1, 1963, to study the Earth's ionosphere and serve as a general-purpose radio telescope.

It was considered the world's most sensitive radio telescope for many decades. On December 1, 2020, the facility collapsed in an uncontrollable structural failure. The secondary cable slipped out of its socket in August of the same year. Just as when the engineers prepared to begin the repairs, one of the main cables unexpectedly snapped, putting the entire facility at risk.

The two cable failures in just four months made the telescope too sensitive to be repaired safely. The NSF anticipated that the facility could fall anytime and planned to decommission the telescope.

In drone footage posted on Space.com, the already-snapped cables were shown, followed by the failure of additional wires. It happened slowly at first, then faster, taking only 17 seconds for the entire radio telescope to crumble. The paint chips were also seen flying as the individual wires split from the thick bundles. When all the cables snapped, the metal platform crushed down and hit the other side of the dish. As a result, the tips of the other two towers were pulled off.

What are the Future Plans for the Observatory?

After the unexpected demise of the Arecibo Observatory, astronomers have been wondering if it can be rebuilt. Although it was considered the most sensitive radio telescope when it was constructed, it cannot be denied that radio technology has significantly advanced over the past 60 years. As a single-dish telescope, the facility has some limitations and cannot adapt to modern array telescopes.

There were proposed plans to replace the Arecibo telescope with a modern observatory. One of them is the Next Generation Arecibo Telescope which tries to maintain the benefits of a single large dish while incorporating a more flexible structure resembling an array telescope.

Although modern single-dish telescopes exist, building this version at the Arecibo location is not feasible. Instead, the team who suggested the idea of the Next Generation Arecibo Telescope recommends an array of 102 13-meter dishes that will be used after the single dish is removed. They will not be built as movable dishes but arranged in a fixed circular pattern. The resulting array will be less than half the width of the original Arecibo but with more receivers that could be far more sensitive.