30m tear in Arecibo telescope’s dish

A snapped cable is to blame for the extensive damage

most powerful telescopes in the world for over 50 years, and astronomers are keen to see it back up and running. What caused the cable to snap isn’t clear, but could be related to damage caused during Hurricane Maria in 2017, which the Arecibo team are still in the process of repairing.

“Our focus is assuring the safety of our staff, protecting the facilities and equipment, and restoring the facility to full operations as soon as possible so it can continue to assist scientists around the world,” says Francisco Cordova, the Observatory’s director. www.naic.edu