Gut-Wrenching Photos Show Damage at Arecibo Observatory Following Collapse - Gizmodo

As feared, the 900-ton instrument platform collapsed yesterday at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, falling onto the gigantic radar dish below.

No injuries were reported, but the collapse has caused considerable damage to the radar dish and surrounding facilities, including a learning center, according to the U.S.

The 900-ton instrument platform fell onto the dish below and can be seen lying on the side of the structure.

It appears that the platform did not fall straight down but swung at an angle, which makes sense, given that a failed wire from one of the three support towers triggered the collapse.

That all three support towers are still standing is fortunate, as it was feared a collapse of the towers would damage buildings nearby.

This is a particularly painful view of the damage, showing the mangled instrument platform, the busted Gregorian Dome (a multi-beam receiver capable of scanning multiple points in the sky at once), and the fallen support cables, which sliced through the dish like knives.

The collapse of the instrument platform on December 1 was not a surprise.

For context, here’s what the radar dish looked like on November 19, 2020, following two cable failures