Arecibo Radio Telescope

The telescope consisted of a 305-meter spherical reflector dish constructed within a natural limestone sinkhole, featuring 38,778 aluminum panels supported by steel cables.

The facility operated from 1963 to 2020, serving as the world's largest single-aperture telescope until China's FAST telescope surpassed it in 2016.

Scientists used the telescope to send the first intentional radio message to potential extraterrestrial civilizations, targeting the globular cluster Messier 13 in 1974.

The National Science Foundation established an education center at the former telescope site to provide science programs and computational skills training.

The telescope determined Mercury's rotation period and conducted the first radar observations of various asteroids before its structural collapse in December 2020.

Location: Arecibo

Official opening: November 1, 1963

Elevation above the sea: 498 m

Diameter: 221 m

Made from material: aluminium

Part of: Arecibo Observatory

Website: http://naic.edu

GPS coordinates: 18.34417,-66.75278

Latest update: May 26, 2025 21:51