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Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico to be shut down by National Science Foundation due to extensive damage

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GoldenEye 007

GoldenEye 007

Roll Tide, Y'all!
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,833
Texas
Radio telescope was obviously a major contributor to science, but is also well known for the final scene of James Bond's GoldenEye 007, has suffered damage over the last few months and I guess to the point where it makes little sense to keep it operational.

The cable that snapped contributed to a lot of immediate damage, and it was found that even if they could repair it, the entire assembly's structure is compromised.

An unfortunate loss for the scientific community.

apnews.com

Huge Puerto Rico radio telescope to close in blow to science

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The National Science Foundation announced Thursday that it will close the huge telescope at the renowned Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico in a blow to scientists worldwide who depend on it to search for planets, asteroids and extraterrestrial life.
apnews.com apnews.com

"This decision is not an easy one for NSF to make, but the safety of people is our number one priority," said Sean Jones, the agency's assistant director for the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate. "We understand how much Arecibo means to this community and to Puerto Rico."

He said the goal was to preserve the telescope without placing people at risk, but, "we have found no path forward to allow us to do so safely."
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Alex Wolszczan, a Polish-born astronomer and professor at Pennsylvania State University who helped discover the first extrasolar and pulsar planets, told The Associated Press that while the news wasn't surprising, it was disappointing. He worked at the telescope in the 1980s and early 1990s

"I was hoping against hope that they would come up with some kind of solution to keep it open," he said. "For a person who has had a lot of his scientific life associated with that telescope, this is a rather interesting and sadly emotional moment."
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