Arecibo Observatory – Arecibo, Puerto Rico

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Arecibo Observatory was a world-class attraction, attracting scientists, students, and visitors from all over the world.  The Arecibo Observatory is nestled in the mountains of Arecibo, your adventure began on the road as you drive through the green lush karst region.  It was the largest radio telescope in the world for over 50 years until 2016 when China completed a radio telescope currently holding the largest in the world.  Sadly, the telescope collapsed on December 1, 2022.  In March of this year 2022, the Arecibo Observatory re-opened its doors to those who wish to visit the Museum & Visitor Center.

You may have seen the Arecibo Observatory on the Hollywood hits, Contact, and Golden Eye.  Photos could not capture the magnitude of this man-made wonder, you had to be here to appreciate the size of it.

The Arecibo Observatory, the world’s largest radio telescope,  was dedicated in 1963.  It’s design and implementation led to advances in the electrical engineering areas of antenna design, signal processing, and electronic instrumentation, and in the mechanical engineering areas of antenna suspension and drive systems. The drive system positions all active parts of the antenna with millimeter precision, regardless of temperature changes, enabling the telescope to maintain an accurate focus. Its subsequent operation led to advances in the scientific fields of radio astronomy, planetary studies, and space and atmospheric sciences.

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Puerto Rico   ⎮  Puerto Rico Things to Do  ⎮  Arecibo Observatory