Uncategorized
The famous Arecibo telescope, on the verge of collapse, will be dismantled | Science
The second cable on November 7 tore through the dish plates of the Arecibo telescope and brought the instrument’s suspended platform to the point of collapsing.
Arecibo Observatory / University of Central Florida
The long and fruitful life of the Arecibo telescope is over. The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced today that it will discontinue operation of the famous radio telescope in Puerto Rico after a cable break in recent months that nearly collapsed the structure. The 57-year-old observatory, which has survived numerous hurricanes and earthquakes, is now so fragile that an attempt to repair will put staff and workers at risk. “It wasn’t an easy decision,” said Shawn Jones, NSF Assistant Director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, at a news briefing today. “We understand how much Arecibo means [the research] Society and Puerto Rico. “
Ralph Jaume, director of the astronomy division at the National Science Foundation, said at the press conference that the agency wants to keep other tools on site, in addition to the visitor and outreach center. But they are threatened if the structure of the telescope collapses. This would cause the 900-ton appliance platform to collapse, hanging 137 meters above the 305-meter-wide plate. Falling cables can damage other buildings on the site, as well as the three supporting towers if they also fall. “There is a grave risk of an unexpected and uncontrolled collapse,” Gaume said. “A controlled shutdown gives us an opportunity to preserve the valuable assets that the observatory has.”
Over the next few weeks, engineering firms will develop a plan for a controlled dismantling. It may involve freeing the platform from its cables explosively and letting it fall off.
The Arecibo Telescope has been widely used by astrophysicists as well as atmospheric and planetary scientists since the early 1960s. For many years, it was the main instrument used to listen to messages from civilizations outside Earth, and its stunning appearance earned it a supporting role in feature films.
The observatory has been hit by the elements over the years, the most recent being Hurricane Maria in 2017 and an earthquake and aftershocks in December 2019. It is not known whether these pressures contributed to the cable failure, the first of which occurred on August 10. An additional cable was installed in the 1990s when 300 tons of new tools were added to the suspended platform, and it detached from its socket at one end, damaging some tools and wounding the surface of the plate below.
On November 7, a major suspension cable (seen hanging down) detached from its support tower at the Arecibo Observatory. Engineers have already noticed that the cable wires have deteriorated.
Arecibo Observatory / University of Central Florida
Engineers investigating the outage have ordered a replacement cable and others to provide support. During their study, they noticed that one of the 12 main suspended cables – one connected to the same tower as the failed accessory cable – had dozens of broken wires around the outside of it. Since these 9-centimeter cables consisted of 160 wires, they believed they had enough capacity to withstand the extra load.
But on November 7, that cable went off. The University of Central Florida (UCF), which leads the consortium that manages the facility for NSF, had three engineering firms on site assessing the first break. They quickly set out to analyze the integrity of the entire structure. NSF sent another company and the Army Corps of Engineers. Of the five, three said the only way forward was to turn off the regulator. If one of the main cables is operating below its design capacity, “said Ashley Zuderer, NSF program manager for Arecibo,” all of the cables are now questionable. ” The engineers concluded that if one of the three remaining main cables connected to the malfunctioning tower failed, the platform would collapse.
The NSF has, in recent years, sought to reduce its commitment to the Arecibo observatory, and in taking over its management, the UCF bore more of the financial burden. But Gaume said: “This decision has nothing to do with the scientific merits of Arecibo. It’s all about safety.” He said the facility still had strong and unique capabilities that researchers rely on. “I am confident in the resilience of the astrophysics community,” he added, and the National Science Foundation is working with some of its other facilities to take over some of the studies that have been suspended.
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
Picture Credit!
 |
 |
 |