Unveiling the Overlooked Warnings Behind Arecibo's Collapse
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Gizmodo
The Arecibo Observatory's collapse in December 2020 was caused by decayed zinc in cable sockets and damage from Hurricane Maria, according to a report by the National Academies of Sciences. The report highlights "unprecedented and accelerated long-term zinc creep" as the root cause, with the failure sequence beginning 39 months prior. The observatory, a key site for radio astronomy, will be transformed into a STEM education center, though it will no longer collect radio data.