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Heartbreaking images and videos have documented the beginning of the end for one of the world’s most iconic telescopes.
The National Science Foundation’s Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, known for its studies of asteroids and aliens and for its appearance in a James Bond film, collapsed this morning (December 1). The 900-ton platform suspended over the radio antenna fell 140 meters into the structure below at around 8 a.m. local time, causing massive damage documented online.
Images of the destruction are grim, although the situation came as no surprise after the National Science Foundation announced a few days ago that it would have to decommission the observatory following damage from the hurricane and cables at the famous observatory.
Related: Arecibo Observatory radio telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed
“We heard a loud noise, a loud bang outside the control room. We started to see the possible fall of the observatory,” said Ángel Vázquez, head of telescope operations and worker at Arecibo during four decades in a video posted on Twitter.
Pointing to a large photo-poster of the cables supporting the Arecibo platform, Vázquez said that over the past week, people working at the observatory saw strands come loose from the three remaining cables holding the platform on one side. The strands were sure signs of increased stress on the cables, as there were fewer of them supporting the weight of the platform, he said.
“Eventually it gave way,” he says. The other side of the platform still had live cables, he added, so that the platform did not fall suddenly, but took about 30 seconds to slide through the radio antenna.
Related: The loss of the Arecibo observatory creates a scientific gap that cannot be filled
Ángel Vázquez explains the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory @SaveTheAO. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/7VCZNCFsA4December 1, 2020
Drone footage taken after the collapse shows the crumpled cable towers on top of the antenna, with pieces of the tower and other debris scattered throughout the area. Numerous photos posted on Getty Images by Agence France-Presse photographer Ricardo Arduengo show the radio antenna elements split in the middle by the force of the fall.
“Engineers are on site. Top priorities are maintaining site safety and assessing damage,” NSF said on twitter, with a close-up of the damage showing a wrinkling in the radio telescope.
“We knew it was a possibility, but it’s still heartbreaking to see,” Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president of research at UCF, said in an NSF statement. “Staff safety is our number one priority. We already have engineers on site to help us assess the damage and determine the stability and safety of the remaining structure. We will continue to work with NSF and others. stakeholders to find ways to support science. mission to Arecibo. “
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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