Arecibo Observatory

space exploration · radio telescope · puerto rico · astronomy

Massive radio dish. The Arecibo Observatory had a huge dish made of metal that was 1,000 feet across. It was so big that it could pick up incredibly faint radio signals from space that smaller telescopes could never hear.

Searching for aliens. Scientists used Arecibo to search for signals from intelligent alien civilizations. In 1974, they even sent a message into space from the telescope, hoping that someday someone far away might hear it and say hello back.

Reading the ionosphere. The telescope didn't just look at distant stars and galaxies. It also studied Earth's ionosphere, a layer of our atmosphere high up where radio waves bounce around, helping us understand our own planet better.

Located in Puerto Rico. The observatory sat in the beautiful tropical rainforest of Puerto Rico. This location was perfect because the warm, wet climate helped keep the telescope's sensitive equipment in good condition.

Collapsed in 2020. After 57 years of discoveries, the telescope's support cables snapped and the massive dish fell down in December 2020. It had made amazing discoveries about our universe before it stopped working.