Worried we might somehow miss an asteroid hurtling toward our planet?
Never fear, thanks to the incredible structure that is the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico.
The massive radio telescope is suspended in the air by cables attached to three massive concrete pillars, and its special power lies in its ability to transmit signals out into space. That means the radar signals it sends out are able to detect any asteroids heading our way.
Other accomplishments of this observatory include, but are definitely not limited to:
1965: One of its first accomplishments: Establishing the rotation rate of Mercury, which turned out to be 59 days rather than the previously estimated 88 days.
1974: The first pulsar in a binary system was discovered, leading to important confirmation of Einstein’s theory of general relativity and a Nobel Prize 1993 for astronomers Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor.
1974: On 16 November 1974, the “Arecibo message” was broadcast into space toward the globular star cluster M13 25,000 light years away. The message was designed by Frank Drake with the help of Carl Sagan among others, and though its main purpose was to demonstrate the capabilities of newly installed equipment in the upgraded radio telescope, it also constitutes an attempt to contact extraterrestrial intelligence.
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