Brief History of the Arecibo Observatory
The Arecibo Observatory's history begins in the mid-1950s, when the US Department of Defense was concerned that the use of radar decoys could effectively hide the signature of an incoming missile. There was a theory that the missile's warhead would create a different radar signature upon re-entry, but this wasn't proven.Unwilling to take a gamble, the Department of Defense began a research project to learn more about the upper atmosphere. This led to the construction of an observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Completed in 1963, this observatory was home to the world's largest radio telescope. Other features of interest include a smaller telescope, a LIDAR facility, and a vistor's center.
Over time, the Arecibo Observatory was upgraded, improving its capabilities. For example, in 1973, a new set of panels was installed, increasing its usable frequency range by nearly 10x.
Features of the Arecibo Telescope
Built into a naturally occuring sinkhole, the Arecibo Telescope had a diameter of 304.8 meters and a massive collecting area of around 73,000 square meters. The telescope's focal length was 132.6 meters.Fate of the Arecibo Telescope
Like all good things, the usefulness of the Arecibo Telescope came to an end. Its funding was continually reduced during the early 2000s, and without regular maintenance, the telescope began to fall apart and decay.It was badly damaged by hurricane Maria in 2017. In 2019 and 2020, earthquakes made things worse. In November 2020, the Arecibo Telescope was formally decommissioned, and in December 2020, the telescope collapsed.
While the main telescope is now a relic of history, the rest of the Arecibo Observatory, now known as the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, is still operational.
