Puerto Rico Moves Forward: Arecibo Observatory and Radio Telescope
The Arecibo Observatory discovered pulsars and has protected us from asteroids for over 50 years. After Hurricane Maria, the Observatory and its staff worked to rebuild its facility––home to the most powerful astronomical radar and one of the largest radio telescopes on Earth––and aid the neighboring community.
“Rise of the Superstorms” is streaming online now at: https://to.pbs.org/2KcJaOh
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@heru-deshet359
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
When you realize that we may now get clobbered by an asteroid.
@zaratrusta79
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Arecibo Observatory cost 9 million to build and as of 2017 had an 8 million yearly cost to maintain and operate. For comparison, Space X's Starlink project has a budget of 10 BILLION DOLLARS. That would be enough to build ONE THOUSAND ARECIBO OBSERVATORIES, in a year where doctors had to choose who gets to live and who gets to die because there were not enough respirators, and nurses had to wear trash bags for protection. Let that sink in.
@annarodriguez6808
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
God bless the people of Puerto Rico
@fXBorgmeister
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
It must be rebuilt. If the motto is "Build Back Better" – then this should be on the list.
@amicloud_yt
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
awk
@radamesvalentin
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
@SaveTheAO Sign the white house petition that's on social media to rebuild the arecibo Observatory.
@slasher302
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
It's DEAD! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59WQIRvezzI&t=516s There are two questions to be answered: 1) Is it worth rebuilding? 2) Is it advantageous to rebuild it in the current location or do we need to look for an empty and geologically more stable place elsewhere to build it?
@Dinara1up
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
She must be heartbroken over it's collapse. Such a shame. I hope something good comes out of all this.
@ryry187
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
To bad it just collapsed a few days ago
@EuroS50
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Aaaaand now its completely dead. Collapsed today.
@amara139
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Thank you for keeping an eye out for all of us on this tiny blue dot.
@istrains.7653
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
RIP.
Now it’s just gonna rot out there, and the scrapers will come to take away whatever is left. Step up Bezos, Musk…….
@bleuemoone8710
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
RIP big guy 🙁
@zoelimedina
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
#SAVETHEARECIBOOBSERVATORY!!!!!
@pcaetano7527
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
RIP 1963-2020
@tedf1471
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Now to be dismantled. If you do not properly maintain a structure like this, it is inevitable.
@Lion_McLionhead
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Surprised they can't build a new one on the ruins of the old one. Building a suicide net under the golden gate bridge was a harder problem.
@Envergure
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
The sliding snippets of text are a really bad idea.
@scottmatheson3346
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
RIP. Now that arecibo is definitively dead I suppose there's still time in 2020 for the giant meteor to show up.
@username6135
June 29, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Is that in radiowaves? Build a base or a city in the shape of the message with lazer cannons like a beacon since light seems to travel fastest. Now the question is: do we want aliens here… maybe as an SOS signal… idk.