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Shocking images and videos documented the beginning of the end for one of the world’s most iconic telescopes.
The National Science Foundation’s Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, known for its studies on asteroids and aliens and its cameo in a James Bond movie, collapsed this morning (December 1). The 900-tonne platform that hung over the radio dish fell 140 meters into the structure below at around 8am local time, causing extensive damage documented online.
The images of the destruction are grim, though the situation came as no surprise after the National Science Foundation announced days ago that it would have to dismantle the observatory following the hurricane and damage to the famous observatory’s cables.
Related: The radio telescope of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapsed
“We heard a loud sound, a loud bang outside the control room. We started to see the observatory’s eventual fall,” said Ángel Vázquez, head of telescope operations and a worker at Arecibo for four decades. in a video posted on Twitter.
Pointing to a large poster image of the cables holding up the Arecibo platform, Vázquez said over the past week those working at the observatory saw wires detach from the three remaining cables that supported the platform on one side. The strands were sure signs of increased stress on the cables due to fewer of them carrying the weight of the platform, he said.
“Eventually, he gave in,” he said. The other side of the platform still had the cables under tension, he added, so the platform didn’t suddenly fall, but it took about 30 seconds to slip into the radio’s dish.
Related: The loss of the Arecibo Observatory creates a scientific void that cannot be filled
Ángel Vázquez explains the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory @SaveTheAO. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/7VCZNCFsA4December 1, 2020
Drone footage taken after the collapse shows crumpled cable towers lying on top of the dish, with pieces of the tower and other debris scattered around the area. Numerous photos published on Getty Images by photographer Ricardo Arduengo of Agence France-Presse show the elements of the radio dish split in the middle by the force of the fall.
“Engineers are on site. Main priorities are maintaining safety on site and assessing damage,” NSF he said on Twitter, along with a close-up of the damage showing crumpling in the radio telescope.
“We knew this was a possibility, but it’s still heartbreaking to see,” said Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president of research at UCF, in an NSF statement. “Staff safety is our number one priority. We already have engineers on site to help assess the damage and determine the stability and safety of the remaining facility. We will continue to work with NSF and other stakeholders to find ways to support the science mission in Arecibo “.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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