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Home » Space/Science

Jinxed? December 2, 2020 5:55 am ER

In 1988 the 300′ steerable parabolic dish of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank, West Virginia collapsed due to a structural failure. It was a total loss.

https://www.space.com/arecibo-observatory-green-bank-telescope-collapse-lessons

.

null

I had visited the Observatory just a few years earlier, I was living in Pittsburgh at the time and drove down to the Observatory to check it out. Unfortunately, it took me longer to drive there than I anticipated and it was closed to the public when I got there. Like Arecibo, the NRAO facility was nestled in a remote mountain valley in the back of beyond. The guard at the gate wouldn’t let me in although I could clearly see the huge structure at a distance. Fortunately, the instrument has been since replaced by a comparable facility

I must be bad for observatories. I visited Mt Hamilton in California once and I understand it was threatened by the wildfires not too long ago.

  • Well, the Lick Observatory's still standing. by Vitruvius 2020-12-02 13:36:34
    • I'm sending a detective to investigate. by ER 2020-12-03 06:47:02
    • Maybe you should visit Trump Tower? by podrock 2020-12-02 10:24:52
      • Perhaps you pissed someone off, and they are destroying observatories you are fond of... by RL 2020-12-02 07:26:47
        • "He who would pun would pick a pocket." by ER 2020-12-02 08:18:58
          • One of my favorite scenes in a great movie by podrock 2020-12-02 08:29:08

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