The Arecibo Observatory is a radio telescope near the city of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. This observatory is operated by the company SRI International under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. This observatory is also called the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, although "NAIC" refers to both the observatory and the staff that operates it.
The 305 m (1,000 ft) radio telescope here is the world's largest single-aperture telescope. It is used in three major areas of research: radio astronomy, aeronomy, and radar astronomy observations of the larger objects of the Solar System. Scientists who want to use the telescope submit proposals, and these are evaluated by an independent scientific board.
Since it is visually distinctive, this telescope has made notable appearances in motion picture and television productions. The telescope received additional recognition in 1999 when it began to collect data for the SETI@home project.
This radio telescope has been listed on the American National Register of Historic Places beginning in 2008. It was the featured listing in the National Park Service's weekly list of October 3, 2008. The center was named an IEEE Milestone in 2001.
Read more about Arecibo Observatory: Ángel Ramos Foundation Visitor Center, General Information, Design and Architecture, Research and Discoveries, Funding Issues, In Popular Culture, Arecibo Observatory Directors
Famous quotes containing the word observatory:
“Where there is an observatory and a telescope, we expect that any eyes will see new worlds at once.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)