In mourning
2020-Dec-02, Wednesday 15:51![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
texxgadgetI am in mourning for a telescope.
To most, this would be wierd, but to those who know me well, they will understand.
Arecibo telescope, has a reflector (actually a parabolic curved mesh) constructen in a sink hole in Arecibo Puerto Rico.
The dish does (did) not move.
400 ft above, a large platform moves on a set of cables strung between 3 towers,
and movement of this platform, changes the aim of the dish without moving the reflector.
The first cable failure put a sizable, but repairable hole in the reflector.
These are some pretty massive cables.
The second failure, tok out a large portion of the reflector.
While the NSF decided to shut it down, I was still hopeful that international fundraising might still
bring in the cranes required to support a net and safely lower the receiver platform and allow overhaul
of the dish.
Early in the morning, around dawn, I heard that the plaatform had crashed into the dish.
On one hand, Id love to watch surveilance vids of the collapse.
On the other hand, it would be incredibly sad.
The platform faall of 400ft ensured complete destruction of the antennas and receiving equipment up there.
The damage to what remained of the reflecting dist basically finished it off.
Only the 3 towers remain unscathed.
There is talk of an internationaal fundraiser to eventually rebuild it from scratch.
There is just so much good science that came out of there, I REALLY hope it can be rebuilt.
There are pics online.
They are painful to look at if you admire good engineering, good science, and enjoy good "antenna porn".
What had me out on the riad before dawn, is another story to be told in next post.
To most, this would be wierd, but to those who know me well, they will understand.
Arecibo telescope, has a reflector (actually a parabolic curved mesh) constructen in a sink hole in Arecibo Puerto Rico.
The dish does (did) not move.
400 ft above, a large platform moves on a set of cables strung between 3 towers,
and movement of this platform, changes the aim of the dish without moving the reflector.
The first cable failure put a sizable, but repairable hole in the reflector.
These are some pretty massive cables.
The second failure, tok out a large portion of the reflector.
While the NSF decided to shut it down, I was still hopeful that international fundraising might still
bring in the cranes required to support a net and safely lower the receiver platform and allow overhaul
of the dish.
Early in the morning, around dawn, I heard that the plaatform had crashed into the dish.
On one hand, Id love to watch surveilance vids of the collapse.
On the other hand, it would be incredibly sad.
The platform faall of 400ft ensured complete destruction of the antennas and receiving equipment up there.
The damage to what remained of the reflecting dist basically finished it off.
Only the 3 towers remain unscathed.
There is talk of an internationaal fundraiser to eventually rebuild it from scratch.
There is just so much good science that came out of there, I REALLY hope it can be rebuilt.
There are pics online.
They are painful to look at if you admire good engineering, good science, and enjoy good "antenna porn".
What had me out on the riad before dawn, is another story to be told in next post.
