Arecibo Observatory, located in Puerto Rico, was the world's second-largest single-dish radio telescope until its sudden collapse on Dec. 1, 2020. Despite widespread support from the astronomy community for a replacement facility, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced in 2022 that it would not rebuild the iconic telescope.
The Arecibo telescope was both scientifically revolutionary and visually stunning, with a large platform suspended high above its massive dish, nestled in a tropical rainforest. Over its 57 years of operation, Arecibo contributed an astonishing body of research, including work that led to two Nobel Prizes.
