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I've been keeping up with this since a cable snapped a few months ago. It was deemed too dangerous to repair so it was officially decommissioned by the National Science Foundation, which then decided to come up with a destruction plan. Gravity intervened. 

Puerto Rico: Iconic Arecibo Observatory telescope collapses - BBC News

That's the cover story.  It was actually the work of MI6.

(12-01-2020, 03:27 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]I've been keeping up with this since a cable snapped a few months ago. It was deemed too dangerous to repair so it was officially decommissioned by the National Science Foundation, which then decided to come up with a destruction plan. Gravity intervened. 

Puerto Rico: Iconic Arecibo Observatory telescope collapses - BBC News

Maybe they shuld repeal the lw of gravity LOL........ Seriously though, I read about thhis a few weeks ago and I knew it was an aging telescope but..... Never knew how serious it was

I’ve seen that thing collapsed a hundred times while playing Battlefield 3. Or was it 4? Though, I thought it was in China.


Either way that sucks. Even if it was decommissioned, sad to see it down.

(12-01-2020, 04:16 PM)Sneakers Wrote: [ -> ]That's the cover story.  It was actually the work of MI6.

How old is that pic? I know the scope collapsed, but the whole thing it looks very dilapidated. Probably explains why it fell down. Lol

(12-01-2020, 09:23 PM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-01-2020, 04:16 PM)Sneakers Wrote: [ -> ]That's the cover story.  It was actually the work of MI6.

How old is that pic? I know the scope collapsed, but the whole thing it looks very dilapidated. Probably explains why it fell down. Lol

The telescope itself is over 50 years old but they were still getting good science from it until the first cable snapped a few months ago. The reason it was decommissioned for safety reasons is the suspended science platform you see in the picture above weighs 900 tons. The big dish below is simply reflector panels mounted on scaffolding. The collapsed science platform was the expensive business end. 

Now it's all gone because of those limey bastards in MI6. At least that's what I heard...somewhere.

(12-01-2020, 09:34 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-01-2020, 09:23 PM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]How old is that pic? I know the scope collapsed, but the whole thing it looks very dilapidated. Probably explains why it fell down. Lol

The telescope itself is over 50 years old but they were still getting good science from it until the first cable snapped a few months ago. The reason it was decommissioned for safety reasons is the suspended science platform you see in the picture above weighs 900 tons. The big dish below is simply reflector panels mounted on scaffolding. The collapsed science platform was the expensive business end. 

Now it's all gone because of those limey bastards in MI6. At least that's what I heard...somewhere.

You know how sneaky those brits are!

(12-01-2020, 09:47 PM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-01-2020, 09:34 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]The telescope itself is over 50 years old but they were still getting good science from it until the first cable snapped a few months ago. The reason it was decommissioned for safety reasons is the suspended science platform you see in the picture above weighs 900 tons. The big dish below is simply reflector panels mounted on scaffolding. The collapsed science platform was the expensive business end. 

Now it's all gone because of those limey bastards in MI6. At least that's what I heard...somewhere.

You know how sneaky those brits are!

(12-01-2020, 10:05 PM)Sneakers Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-01-2020, 09:47 PM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]You know how sneaky those brits are!

(12-01-2020, 10:05 PM)Sneakers Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-01-2020, 09:47 PM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]You know how sneaky those brits are!

Now we know what happened for sure!

(12-01-2020, 10:20 PM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-01-2020, 10:05 PM)Sneakers Wrote: [ -> ]

Now we know what happened for sure!

And documented so well. Those security camera angles are amazing!

(12-01-2020, 10:35 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-01-2020, 10:20 PM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]Now we know what happened for sure!

And documented so well. Those security camera angles are amazing!

It’s really quite impressive!

RIP.

I kind of hope that they can do something to restore the dish, it's a significant scientific artifact. When the first cable issues were reported, I know that one of the downstream impacts was that visitors to PR would probably decrease, not only for tourism but also for scientific purposes. As a lifelong fan of astronomy (stupid brain wouldn't handle physics, so I couldn't pursue a career in the field despite my affinity), a visit's been on the bucket list for as long as I can remember.

With VLAs (Very Large Arrays) able to do more with less, I doubt we'll ever see a scope the size of Arecibo again.

Somewhere else we discussed and I thought it would be killer to convert the dish into a skate park. How crazy would that be!?!?!

(12-02-2020, 10:35 AM)Mikey Wrote: [ -> ]RIP.

I kind of hope that they can do something to restore the dish, it's a significant scientific artifact. When the first cable issues were reported, I know that one of the downstream impacts was that visitors to PR would probably decrease, not only for tourism but also for scientific purposes. As a lifelong fan of astronomy (stupid brain wouldn't handle physics, so I couldn't pursue a career in the field despite my affinity), a visit's been on the bucket list for as long as I can remember.

With VLAs (Very Large Arrays) able to do more with less, I doubt we'll ever see a scope the size of Arecibo again.

Somewhere else we discussed and I thought it would be killer to convert the dish into a skate park. How crazy would that be!?!?!

The Chinese built a larger one a few years ago. However, I don't see the U.S. building another one. Like you said, they can get better results and more flexibility with VLAs. 

Same with me and math and physics. I want to learn it and am fascinated by the discoveries and solutions the fields provide, but my brain just isn't wired correctly.

Massive destruction is always fun to watch when no one is injured.

https://youtu.be/b3AASKr_iHc

(12-07-2020, 10:36 AM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]Massive destruction is always fun to watch when no one is injured.

https://youtu.be/b3AASKr_iHc

Sneakers video was more exciting!

As an engineer it does get depressing to know that almost every man made structure has an expiration date.
Structural components require regular inspection.
One day those inspections will turn up a need for repair that's more costly than the residual value of the structure.
Arecibo was a unique case because they couldn't even figure out how to do the repairs without endangering the whole structure and thereby endangering the workers who were attempting to repair it.
luckily the structure was always getting detailed attention from some of the best engineering minds in the world, so they were able to figure that out before they put anyone's life at risk.
Contrast that with like the I-35 West bridge in Minneapolis. Some of the lanes on the bridge were closed. The worker attempting to repair the braces under the bridge deck probably would have been safe, if not for the fact that the contractor decided to park some heavy equipment on the closed lanes.

(12-07-2020, 11:55 AM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-07-2020, 10:36 AM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]Massive destruction is always fun to watch when no one is injured.

Sneakers video was more exciting!

Indiscriminate explosions always spice things up.

(12-07-2020, 02:22 PM)homebiscuit Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-07-2020, 11:55 AM)Bchbunnie4 Wrote: [ -> ]Sneakers video was more exciting!

Indiscriminate explosions always spice things up.

I can't imagine any state secrets which could be divulged by using their telescope, but you just know there's a hook somewhere if the CCP is involved. 

China is opening the world's largest radio telescope up to international scientists | Space

Following the collapse of the historic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, China has opened the biggest radio telescope in the world up to international scientists. 

In Pingtang, Guizhou province stands the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), the largest radio telescope in the world, surpassing the Arecibo Observatory, which stood as the largest in the world for 53 years before the construction of FAST was completed in 2016. Following two cable failures earlier this year, Arecibo's radio telescope collapsed in November, shutting down the observatory for good. Now, FAST is opening its doors to astronomers from around the world. 

"Our scientific committee aims to make FAST increasingly open to the international community," Wang Qiming, the chief inspector of FAST's operations and development center told the news agency AFP during a visit to the telescope, according to the French news site AFP...