News Astronomy

Arecibo Observatory, an ‘icon of Puerto Rican science,’ will be demolished

After two cables broke, the observatory was feared to be on the verge of collapse

Arecibo Observatory

A broken cable damaged the Arecibo Observatory’s 305-meter-wide dish in August, shown here. A second cable broke in November, prompting the observatory to close permanently over safety concerns.

UCF/AO

By Lisa Grossman

Arecibo’s days are done. After two support cables failed in recent months, the radio observatory’s 305-meter-wide dish is damaged beyond repair, the National Science Foundation announced on November 19.