Research and Discoveries at the Arecibo Observatory
The Arecibo observatory is equipped with state of the art and advanced telemetric machinery that enables the scientists to study astronomy and atmospheric changes, specifically the events that take place in the higher levels of the strata - the ionosphere. The observatory is also well known in the elite social circles, because it is the only observatory to accommodate the world's largest single dish radio telescope. At 1, 001ft, the diameter of the main collecting dish is simply impressive as it will be able to harness all kinds of information from the outer skies!
For the time being, let us concentrate on the nature of research work and the subsequent discoveries that had taken place in the Arecibo observatory. Scientists have had their own share of confusions when it came to the number of days of rotation of the planets. Although the situation has improved a lot now, back in the 60s, they had to rely heavily on the machinery deployed in observatories. Likewise, in April 1964, it was found that the average number of days of rotation for the planet Mercury is 59 days. Before this discovery, this number was set at 88!
Nevertheless, researchers did not approve of the fact that neuron stars existed in the solar system. Neuron stars are nothing but crumbled remnants of other major stars, which are left, dispersed in the ever-expanding universe due to supernova explosions. Why are they termed as neuron stars? It is because they are composed of electrically discharged particles. A famous neuron star is the Crab Pulsar. Research work conducted in the Arecibo observatory revealed that the average periodicity of this neuron star in 33 milliseconds. This subsequently led to another confirmation - neuron stars indeed existed in the solar system!
Through meticulous research, two eminent scientists Hulse and Taylor discovered the first binary pulsar i.e. the PSR B1913+16. Pulsar is an electrically charged particle that one can find in a binary star system. Thanks to the Arecibo observatory, Hulse and Taylor received the Nobel Prize in Physics solely for the discovery of the first binary pulsar - an accomplishment that they could never have executed otherwise. By 1982, approximately eight years after the discovery of the first binary pulsar, the first millisecond pulsar i.e. PSR B1937+21 was learned by five scientists. It was crowned as the fastest spinning pulsar ever known to humanity.
It was only by 1989 that the observatory could develop images of the nearest planetary structures and asteroids. In 1990, the Polish Astronomer Aleksander Wolszczan discovered three orbiting planets in the universe - thanks to the high-power receivers present at the Arecibo observatory. These planets cannot be included with the existing number because they are located outside the solar system (extra solar planets). Mercury once again came into the limelight in the Arecibo observatory when John Harmon could map the levels of ice layers present in the surface of the planet. Unlike some of the other reputed observatories, the military extensively used the facility to gather military intelligence.
Overview of Arecibo's accomplishments
1963
Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory Commissioned for service, 1 November, 1963. [$9.7M]
1965
One of its first accomplishments: Establishing the rotating rate of Mercury, which turned out to be 59 days rather than the previously estimated 88 days.
1968-9
Sporadic radio pulses from the direction of the Crab Nebula supernova remnant found at Green Bank were shown by Arecibo to come from a 33-ms period pulsar situated at the center of the nebula.
1969The National Science Foundation assumes operations from DoD, 1 October, 1969. The National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) begins.
1974
New high precision surface reflector installed, planetary radar transmitter installed. [$8M - $5M from NSF, $3M from NASA]
1974
The first pulsar in a binary system was discovered, leading to important confirmation of Einstein's theory of general relativity and a Nobel Prize 1993 for astronomers Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor.
1979
September, 1979, a large, anomalous traveling ionospheric disturbance (that is, an upper atmosphere wave) moving southeast to northwest was detected in the early morning hours - something researchers had never before witnessed. These data helped define the probable cause as an air nuclear blast over the Indian Ocean. Richard Behnke reported his information to the American public on the final CBS news broadcast of Walter Cronkite.
1981
First radar maps of the geologic surface of Venus are produced.
1982
The discovery of strong "megamaser" emission from the hydroxyl (OH) molecule in the starburst galaxy Arp 220 (IC 4553).
1982
The discovery of millisecond pulsars, which rotate several hundred times per second. This demonstrated the existence of two classes of pulsars: the millisecond pulsars and the slower-rotating pulsars, which rotate about once per second.
Late 80's
Detailed maps of the distribution of galaxies in the universe produces 3D description of the Universe.
Late 80's
Provided much of our pre-Magellan mission knowledge of the surface of Venus via 1.5 km resolution imagery of the surface through the planet's cloud cover using the radar system.
1989
The first measurement of hydrogen escape flux from earth is presented, based on velocity distribution measurements of the hydrogen airglow emission in the upper atmosphere.
Early 90's
The first planets outside the solar system were discovered around Pulsar B1257+12, a rapidly rotating pulsar with three Earth-like planets in orbit. (early 1990s)
1996
Gregorian dome with sub reflectors enhances telescope capability, new planetary radar transmitter installed ground screen installed. [$25M - $14M from NSF, $11M from NASA]
1990-1997
Investigations of ice craters at the polar regions of the planet Mercury with the radar system (1990s) and similar investigation of the lunar poles for evidence of ice (1997).
1998
A layer of helium ions is shown to be a common, but previously unrecognized feature in the low-latitude ionosphere near 600 km.
2001
Arecibo Observatory is simultaneously recognized as an IEEE "Electrical Engineering Milestone" and a ISME "Mechanical Engineering Landmark".
1998-2003
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, suffered communication loss with European Space Agency and NASA ground station on 24 June, 1998. Arecibo Observatory "found" the satellite 28 July, 1998, by bouncing a radar signal off the satellite, the mission was resumed thereafter, producing solar data through 2003.
2003
Evidence for hydrocarbon lakes on the Saturn satellite "Titan" is established using the Observatory planetary radar.
Arecibo Observatory is uniquely suited to search for signals from extraterrestrial life, by focusing on thousands of star systems in the 1,000MHz to 3,000 MHz range. No such signals have been found.
2006
Search for water ice in the permanent shadow of the lunar Shackleton Crater disputes evidence for water ice on the lunar surface.
2006
First ground-based images of a cometary nucleus are recovered.
2007
Core or planet Mercury is determined to be liquid using a coordinated experiment between Arecibo Observatory, the Goldstone Radar in California, and Green Bank telescope in West Virginia.
2007
The largest single-source collection of galaxy rotation velocity data coupled with galaxy intrinsic luminosity data in existence, including photometric data and spectroscopic data from Arecibo Observatory is made public. The data are used to accurately map distances to galaxies.
Arecibo Observatory has provided a unique setting for Hollywood filmmakers. The observatory was the setting for the climatic scenes in the James Bond movie Goldeneye, and a good portion of the movie Contact, based on a novel by Carl Sagan and starring Jodie Foster, takes place at Arecibo. Another science fiction movie called Survivor was filmed on observatory grounds, and portions of an X-Files television episode feature the Observatory.