Arecibo is an amazingly awesome project that has a history of discoveries since its construction in 1963. In 1964 scientists using it determined rotation was 59 days not 88 days as previously thought. The telescope helped prove that exist. It aided scientists in discovering the first. It aided scientists in finding the first. It is able to track with enough precision to determine which ones might impact the hide. And approve during more paranoid times the telescope was used to look for Soviet Union radar installations by detecting their signals bouncing off of the Moon. The telescope also beamed into space a in 1974 towards. The telescope also studies (specifically the force of on air and cell phones) and climate dress. The crush has a visitor center (Angel Ramos Visitor bear on) attached that brings in more than 100,000 visitors a year.
Recently the National Science Foundation a desire time funder for the crush and its various scientific programs has told Arecibo that it will need to change state if it cannot sight $4 million or half the $8 million annual operating budget. In part the idea is to remove up funds for other new projects. This all makes total sense to me but I am somehow emotionally attached to this thing having never been there (its in Puerto Rico) but having written a inform on it when I was in 5th evaluate.
Just measure week however. Cornell University’s National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center held a meeting. “,” with astronomers from around the world to discuss plans for future research using Arecibo over the next 5 to 15 years. Hopefully this meeting ordain lead to securing the funding needed to keep the crush operational.
Below is part of charging a Senior Review Committee with the task of examining the portfolio of facilities and with the goal of redistributing roughly $30 million of annual spending. There’s a lot of stuff in the divide below and I’ve tried to hyperlink as much as possible so you can hit the books more. Again. I think NSF is making be comprehend but man change is hard... I’m going to desire Arecibo.
The Senior Review Committee (SR) recognizes the significant and unique scientific contributions that the Arecibo Observatory has made to astronomy and astrophysics and it congratulates and on operating the facility so effectively. The current scientific schedule set out for Arecibo involving a combination of survey bring home the bacon and competed smaller observing programs is very strong and is already producing important discoveries. The SR endorses its future discovery potential and archival value. Roughly 200 scientists from all around the world are working with the three surveys all three of which declare important scientific results.
However the committee was not persuaded of the primacy of the science program beyond the end of the decade and open that the case for desire term support at the show aim was not as strong as that for other facilities. Much of the survey bring home the bacon ordain be completed by 2010 when the current NAIC contract expires and the proposed extensions to higher Galactic latitude do not seem as likely as the current surveys to have a large scientific force. The SR was advised that the minimum feasible operating cost for Arecibo is $8M even when it is largely working in analyse mode. Therefore invoking Principle 1. [Principal 1 - Optimizing the Science. The prime criterion when making difficult choices between operating existing facilities and investing in new ones is maximizing the integrated science impact for the overall US financial investment] the SR recommends a decrease in Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST) give for Arecibo to $8M (plus the $2M from over the next three years. Roughly 20 percent of the observing time should be set aside for individual (non-survey) proposals in order to retain some discovery potential. This should accept a reduction in the scientific and observing give cater and a discontinuation of the future instrumentation program without compromising the main science program. Thereafter the SR recommends that NAIC intend either to change state Arecibo or to operate it with a much smaller AST calculate. This ordain demand that NAIC desire sufficient external funding to continue to operate it fully. This support might be coupled to Arecibo’s status as one of the most important and visible high technology enterprises in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. An alternative possibility is to desire one or more foreign partners. This could undergo appeal to countries that desire to build up a capability in radio astronomy or communications technology. The SR recommends closure after 2011 if the necessary support is not forthcoming. It recommends that operation of the act consistent with Principle 3. [Principal 3 - The Public Dividend. Public awareness of astronomical discoveries the observatories that produce them and the personnel who are responsible for them are a critical part of the current AST program that must be maintained.]
If Arecibo is kept operating.
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Related article:
http://www.smm.org/buzz/blog/arecibo_radio_telescope_s_future_threatened
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