Arecibo Observatory radio telescope decommissioned...

**The_War_Wagon** · 11-22-20, 22:08

Originally Posted by Diamondback

If I'm ET, I order this entire star system quarantined along with everything between here and Alpha Centauri.

**utahjeepr** · 12-01-20, 14:24

The telescope collapsed today. The receiver platform suspended above the dish broke free and fell. I hear the support towers came crashing down as well.

**Grand58742** · 12-01-20, 14:31

Sad.

https://www.space.com/arecibo-radio-telescope-collapses

ETA:

**utahjeepr** · 12-01-20, 15:14

From the pics it looks like only the top 40 foot sections came off the masts. One of the demo options was to blow the cables with small charges. There was some fear that the release of tension would send the masts toppling outward. Glad to see those big columns of concrete mostly stayed put. A whole lot less complicated to drop those in a controlled manner now. The way it collapsed may have been for the best, that was a whole lot of stored energy up there.