Iconic Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico collapses before plans to demolish

[Bum]

Scientists, students and Puerto Ricans are among those mourning the collapse of the iconic radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
The telescope collapsed Tuesday morning after showing signs of extreme weakness. The radio-telescope had already suffered major damages after a cable that helped support the 900-ton platform hanging at 450 feet above the dish broke in August. Weeks later, a second cable gave in, putting the telescope at greater risk.

Iconic Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico collapses before plans to demolish (msn.com)

I knew the NSC has decided to dismantle it due to structural problems, but I didnt expect it to actually collapse before it could be taken down.

 

[snakestretcher]

Scientists, students and Puerto Ricans are among those mourning the collapse of the iconic radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
The telescope collapsed Tuesday morning after showing signs of extreme weakness. The radio-telescope had already suffered major damages after a cable that helped support the 900-ton platform hanging at 450 feet above the dish broke in August. Weeks later, a second cable gave in, putting the telescope at greater risk.

Iconic Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico collapses before plans to demolish (msn.com)

I knew the NSC has decided to dismantle it due to structural problems, but I didnt expect it to actually collapse before it could be taken down.

View attachment 67307058

Yes, I heard there were plans to demolish it; I had no idea it had collapsed

 

[Threegoofs]

Yes, I heard there were plans to demolish it; I had no idea it had collapsed

It happened this morning.

 

[Chomsky]

Wow. As a fan of SETI and SETI@Home, I'm disheartened to hear of this. And what about all those X-Files episodes involving
Arecibo? Sad.

 

[Mr Person]

Wow. As a fan of SETI and SETI@Home, I'm disheartened to hear of this. And what about all those X-Files episodes involving
Arecibo? Sad.

I mostly subscribe to the theoretical point about how the windows of civilization as measured against the vast distances of space make it more or less impossible for us ever to come into contact with a species in our general vicinity of technology.

 

[Questerr]

Wow. As a fan of SETI and SETI@Home, I'm disheartened to hear of this. And what about all those X-Files episodes involving
Arecibo? Sad.

When it comes to SETI, Arecibo had largely been supplanted by other radiotelescopes with more advanced capabilities over the last couple decades.

 

[snakestretcher]

I mostly subscribe to the theoretical point about how the windows of civilization as measured against the vast distances of space make it more or less impossible for us ever to come into contact with a species in our general vicinity of technology.

Yes, the distances are beyond mind-boggling. There's a Hubble picture called something like 'The Pillars of Creation' There are three enormous gas clouds. The distance between them is in the billions of light years.

 

[Chomsky]

I mostly subscribe to the theoretical point about how the windows of civilization as measured against the vast distances of space make it more or less impossible for us ever to come into contact with a species in our general vicinity of technology.

Yep. Agreed. What you describe is distilled down to Drake's Equation, if you're interested.

Distance isn't the only hindrance. Time also is, given the endless age of the universe in relation to the limited lifespans of intelligent civilizations and their habitats.

I have no doubt intelligent life is out there, or was out there. I have little hope we'll cross paths. But I believe the question is too compelling to not look. Consequently, I'm a big fan of SETI.

Arecibo's been defunct for awhile, but Paul Allen and his array are doing some pretty decent work along with the SERENDIP project. A lot of stuff is being done under and coordinated and compended by the SETI Institute. The institute is a great and interesting resource.

If you think like me - and like numbers - consider Googling Dr. Drake's equation, and play around with it. It's an interesting exercise.

 

[Chomsky]

Yes, the distances are beyond mind-boggling. There's a Hubble picture called something like 'The Pillars of Creation' There are three enormous gas clouds. The distance between them is in the billions of light years.
View attachment 67307075

And we can't forget the eons of time. Both the time required for light and radio-waves to traverse these enormous distances, but also the endless age of the universe vs the relatively short lifespans of civilizations & their habitats.

 

[Fishking]

Wow. As a fan of SETI and SETI@Home, I'm disheartened to hear of this. And what about all those X-Files episodes involving
Arecibo? Sad.

And a Bond movie too, right? There was just such an air of mystery about it.

 

[Chomsky]

When it comes to SETI, Arecibo had largely been supplanted by other radiotelescopes with more advanced capabilities over the last couple decades.

Thanks. I touch on this in my post #8, above.

 

[Chomsky]

And a Bond movie too, right? There was just such an air of mystery about it.

It's fascinating stuff, my friend.

"I want to believe"

 

[snakestretcher]

And we can't forget the eons of time. Both the time required for light and radio-waves to traverse these enormous distances, but also the endless age of the universe vs the relatively short lifespans of civilizations & their habitats.

It never ceases to amaze me that I can look into the night sky, back into time, and see the light from stars as they looked maybe billions of years ago.

 

[Chomsky]

It never ceases to amaze me that I can look back into time and see the light from stars as they looked maybe billions of years ago.

Yep. But the really interesting stuff starts to happen when you figure-out how to get yourself going fast enough to approach the speed of light!

BTW - those relativistic effects were proven - if I remember right - in the late seventies or early eighties. They put atomic clocks on jets going in different directions at high speed, and proved it out. They found relativistic effects. Einstein was gone by then, but the damn old codger was right! How about that?