In the dead of night, an auxiliary cable meant to last another 15 years inexplicably snapped. The incident created a 100-foot gash in the dish — halting the search for extraterrestrial life.
University of Central FloridaThe destructive gash is 100 human foot long and has caused officials to temporarily kibosh the telescope ’s operations .
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is domicile to one of the largest radio scope in the mankind . Essentially a giant ear to the universe , it tail asteroid and listen for radio signal from other coltsfoot . According toCBS News , that outside structure was just found enigmatically destroy .
Made famous by the climactic scenery from James Bond filmGoldenEye , it appear the scope was damaged after inherent cables suddenly snapped and break apart into the main dish . This has pass on experts baffled , as the scope is settle in the center of a forest — and its cables were built to last .
University of Central FloridaThe destructive gash is 100 feet long and has caused officials to temporarily halt the telescope’s operations.
“ The cable did n’t really break in the sense of a cable form of snapping , but it just sort of slipped from its socket , which is you know , an even uncanny condition , ” said Arecibo Observatory Director Francisco Cordova .
apart from ensuring no sizeable asteroids are headed our way , the telescope was pivotal for a program fuck as SETI — the hunt for intelligent life . notable astronomer Carl Sagan even apply its capabilities to post an interstellar subject matter into space .
While nobody quite knows what happened yet , a few things are well-defined . On Aug. 10 , 2020 , an auxiliary cable length that supports a suspended platform above the 1,000 - understructure - panoptic radio stunner snapped in one-half . It then smashed into the telescope ’s reflecting telescope panels , leaving the knockout with a 100 - foot - longsighted gash .
University of Central FloridaThe thick, steel support cable was designed to last another decade — at minimum.
According toSpace , Cordova explained at a news conference on Aug. 14 that 250 of the primary reflecting telescope dish panels and numerous support cable were damaged . Uncertain as to how damaged , specifically , and how much repair would cost — officials have temporarily keep out the telescope down .
Technicians are working around the clock to get the scope back online and witness resolution regarding the incident , hop to prevent whatever did fall out from doing so again . As it endure , what happened to the 56 - year - old telescope is a enigma — with no answers on the view .
“ So at this tip , we ’re not , you know , we do n’t really have a magnanimous timeline of when that is going to pass off , ” read Cordova .
TwitterThe Arecibo Observatory telescope was once the single largest of its kind.
University of Central FloridaThe stocky , steel support overseas telegram was designed to last another decennary — at minimum .
Thetelescopeat Arecibo Observatory was once the unmarried enceinte radio dish on the planet . The cable’s length that snapped was one of many that were added in the 1990s to support a new accession call the Gregorian noodle , which contains an feeler receiver .
Perhaps most stick about all this is that the cablegram that snapped was contrive to last another 15 to 20 age . While it ’s still unreadable whether the proficient legal document inside the domed stadium were damaged , six to eight panels on its exterior for sure were — as was the platform used to get at it .
Fortunately , nobody was injured during the incident as it come at 2:45 a.m. Had the transmission line snapped during work hours , however , it ’s possible staffer on site could have been gravely suffer . From canvass gravitational waves to heed for alien life and tracking asteroids , it ’s a busy site .
“ Our focus is on guarantee the safety of our staff , protecting the facilities and equipment , and regenerate the readiness to full surgical operation as soon as possible , so it can go along to wait on scientists around the populace , ” said Cordova .
TwitterThe Arecibo Observatory telescope was once the unmarried largest of its kind .
accord toSputnik News , there was no telescope heavy than the Arecibo Observatory ’s upon windup in 1963 . Since then , it helped NASA track near - Earth objects and aided the search for foreign civilizations . The binary - coded message it beamed to removed virtuoso in 1974 has go unanswered .
As for the future , Cordova is positive he and his team will successfully excogitate onwards . After all , they ’ve done so before — from endure literal storms above to survive earthquakes below .
“ We ’ll find a way to repair this special issue and continue to move onward , ” said Cordova . “ We ’ve overwhelm a plenty in our 50 - class chronicle , from Hurricane Maria to very late rash of earthquakes to now this . ”
“ So we ’re a pretty springy bunch down here and we ’re live on to calculate out a way to continue to move forrard , doing exciting science for the world . ”
Next , interpret aboutfour actual U.S. government foreign inquiry projects straight out ofThe X - Files . Then , learn aboutthe Indian village of Kuldharathat was abandoned overnight — and nobody get it on why .
