Arecibo Observatory

E54484

Arecibo Observatory was a world-famous radio telescope facility in Puerto Rico known for its pioneering work in radio astronomy, atmospheric science, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.


Statements (80)
Predicate Object
instanceOf astronomical observatory
radio telescope observatory
scientific research facility
altitude about 497 meters above sea level
Arecibo message binary-coded message to globular cluster M13
sent in 1974
collapseCause failure of support cables
collapseDate 1 December 2020
collectingArea about 73,000 square meters
conductedSurvey Arecibo L-band Feed Array survey
Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA survey
constructedBy United States Department of Defense
constructionStartDate 1960
contributedTo characterization of near-Earth objects
evidence for existence of neutron stars
measurement of planetary surfaces by radar
studies of Earth’s ionosphere
studies of atmospheric dynamics
tests of general relativity
coordinateSystem equatorial mount for receiver platform
country United States
damagedBy Hurricane Maria in 2017
discovered first binary pulsar PSR B1913+16
first millisecond pulsar PSR B1937+21
many new pulsars
dishDiameter 1000 feet
305 meters
featuredIn film Contact
film GoldenEye
various documentaries
fundedBy Advanced Research Projects Agency
governingBody National Science Foundation
hasInstrument 305-meter fixed spherical reflector
Gregorian dome
moveable receiver platform
planetary radar system
hasVisitorCenter Arecibo Observatory Visitor Center
heritage iconic facility in radio astronomy
symbol of Puerto Rican scientific achievement
inaugurationDate 1963
locatedIn Arecibo, Puerto Rico
locatedOn island of Puerto Rico
managedBy National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center
near Barrio Esperanza, Arecibo
notableFor high-sensitivity planetary radar
pioneering work in atmospheric science
pioneering work in radio astronomy
pioneering work in search for extraterrestrial intelligence
numberOfReceivers multiple radio receivers
observationMethod drift-scan surveys
operatedBy Cornell University
SRI International
Universidad Metropolitana
Universidad del Turabo
University of Central Florida
ownedBy National Science Foundation
platformSuspension cable suspension system
primaryMirrorType fixed spherical dish
scientificDiscipline atmospheric science
ionospheric physics
planetary radar astronomy
radio astronomy
search for extraterrestrial intelligence
sentMessage Arecibo message
status main telescope destroyed
statusAfter2020 limited operations with smaller instruments
sufferedEvent cable failure in August 2020
second cable failure in November 2020
supportedBy three concrete towers
surpassedBy Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope
telescopeType radio telescope
spherical reflector telescope
usedFor SETI experiments
atmospheric radar studies
galactic astronomy
near-Earth asteroid characterization
pulsar observations
solar system radar studies
visitorCenterStatus reopened after telescope collapse
wasWorldsLargestSingleDishRadioTelescope from 1963 to 2016

Referenced by (7)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Arecibo Observatory ("Arecibo Observatory Visitor Center")
hasVisitorCenter
National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center ("Arecibo Observatory ionospheric heating facility")
notableFacility
M13
observedBy
National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center
operated
National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center ("305-meter Arecibo radio telescope")
operatedFacility
Arecibo message
relatedTo
Arecibo message
sentFrom

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