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Credit & Copyright: Arecibo Observatory,
NSF
Explanation:
This was one great scientific instrument.
Starting in 1963, the 305-meters across
Arecibo Telescope in
Puerto Rico
USA reigned as the
largest
single-dish
radio telescope in
the world for over 50 years.
Among
numerous firsts and milestones, data from
Arecibo has been used to measure the
spin of Mercury,
map the surface of Venus, discover the
first planets outside of our Solar System,
verify the existence of gravitational radiation,
search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and, reportedly,
locate
hidden military radar
by tracking their reflections from the Moon.
Past its prime and in the process of being
decommissioned,
the
Arecibo Telescope
suffered a catastrophic structural
collapse early this month, as seen in the
featured composite
video.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: radiotelescope
Publications with words: radiotelescope
See also: