1000 ft. Radio Telescope, Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 18° 20.763 W 066° 45.153
19Q E 737502 N 2029939
Completed in 1963, this was the world’s largest telescope for over 50 years.
Waymark Code: WMT4A1
Location: Puerto Rico
Date Posted: 09/23/2016
Views: 8
This telescope was originally conceived by William E. Gordon of Cornell University who envisioned a large parabolic reflector aimed at a single point in the sky. Its original purpose was to perform analysis on the earth’s upper atmosphere. This design eventually gave way to a spherical reflector with a moveable suspended receiver positioned at the focal point. Although the spherical aberration would have to be corrected for, this design allowed the telescope to be aimed at different points in the sky or to follow a particular object over a period of time. Now it could be used for general radio astronomy and radar analysis of the solar system as well as atmospheric studies.
Puerto Rico was chosen for the telescope’s location due to requirements that it be on US soil and as close to the equator as possible. A natural sinkhole, roughly matching the proposed dimensions of the reflector, was found in the hills south of the city of Arecibo. The reflector consists of 38,778 individual aluminum panels suspended on a steel wire mesh. The total weight of the reflector is about 300 tons. Cables stretching from three towers surrounding the reflector support a 900-ton receiver platform which can be lowered in the event of a hurricane.
In addition to being the site of many important scientific discoveries, the observatory has also been used as a filming location for television and movies, most notably the 1995 James Bond feature “GoldenEye.” The stamp is from a 1990 souvenir sheet of six stamps each showing a different telescope or observatory and entitled “Probing the Vastness of Space.”
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 10-July-2000
Denomination: 60 cents
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: Not listed
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