Arecibo Observatory
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Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has been home to the radio observatory since its completion in 1963. It has been iconic in movies and sci-fi shows, and was instrumental in the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence program (SETI).
It was also a key factor for driving my interest in space and science.
Sadly, in December of 2020, support cables for the instrument platform failed, and the dish was destroyed. The NSF (National Science Foundation) had planned to decommission the dish due to damage it had suffered in hurricane Maria, compounded by the lack of funds to fix the problems that were popping up due to her advanced age.
We had a rental car for a few days to do some provisioning, so we decided to drive up and see what we could see. We knew that the facility was closed, but we hoped to be able to see some of the dish. Sadly, the terrain doesn't give a view of anything other than the support towers and a small radar dish.
Still, it was a beautiful drive, and we got to eat some amazing tacos. All in all, it was a good day.
