The end of an era?
Completed in 1963, the Arecibo Observatory contributed to a host of astronomical discoveries. The dish was used to detect the very first exoplanets and the first binary pulsar (which resulted in a Nobel Prize in physics), and it famously transmitted a message to aliens. The radio telescope was also used to study planets and nearby asteroids and to assist in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The loss of the dish is a major blow to the scientific community (particularly those working in Puerto Rico), as it was the second largest radio dish in the world. No word yet on whether the dish will ever be replaced, but it’s a conversation that’s already starting.
