It is now certain, the Puerto Rican telescope will not be entitled to a second life: Arecibo will not be rebuilt after its destruction almost two years ago.
Behind Arecibo hides a huge radio telescope located on the island of Puerto Rico. Very valuable for scientists, this tool specialized in the observation of deep space, and commissioned in 1963, has brought to light many discoveries such as the rotation period of Mercury, the existence of exoplanets or the first image of an asteroid. Alas, the observatory had been weakened by various meteorological events during its career…
The end of a story
Thus, the overall structure of the telescope worried until the total collapse of Arecibo in December 2020. Many then wondered if a reconstruction was possible… Unfortunately, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has just announced that the building will not will not be rebuilt. Instead, a center dedicated to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education and awareness will emerge in 2023.
An announcement that will undoubtedly leave a taste of unfinished business for part of the scientific community. Moreover, Arecibo went beyond the simple framework of science since he had also appeared in the legendary films GoldenEye and Contact.
Source : The Verge
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