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Pretty cool seeing this here. I recently met someone who works at the observatory here in the island in a Python user group meeting. I was intrigued by the kind

by jpdlla 12y ago

Pretty cool seeing this here. I recently met someone who works at the observatory here in the island in a Python user group meeting. I was intrigued by the kind of work he did over there with Python. But was instantly bummed out when he told me how their budget has been so dramatically cut during the past few years. There's some interesting things regarding budget, and one of the latest repairs that had to be done after an earthquake north from Puerto Rico damaged one of the suspension cables that support a 900 ton telescope platform here http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2014/0409-arecibo-observatory-earthquake-repairs.html http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2014/0409-arecibo...

frik 12y ago
Very interesting, thanks for sharing! Btw. she put many awesome photos of the observatory on her flickr stream: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/ some are categorized in albums: * Flying over Arecibo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157642216845184/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157642216845184/ * Sunday Platform Tour: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157633399446014/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157633399446014/ * Arecibo Observatory: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157631700960474/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157631700960474/ * The Platform After Dark: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157631824663769/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157631824663769/ * Sunset from the Lidar Lab: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157632834643572/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157632834643572/ an old Sun Sparc workstation: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/8111297074/in/set-72157631700960474 https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/8111297074/in/set-721576... and https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/13952717471/in/set-72157644190691644 https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/13952717471/in/set-72157...
- frik 12y ago
  I computed a 3D model of the Arecibo Observatory: 3D: http://s15.postimg.org/5czp6yi6j/are_04.jpg http://s15.postimg.org/5czp6yi6j/are_04.jpg point cloud: http://s21.postimg.org/3nvdz80vb/are_03.jpg http://s21.postimg.org/3nvdz80vb/are_03.jpg 3D: http://s15.postimg.org/4lk04gwwb/are_06.jpg http://s15.postimg.org/4lk04gwwb/are_06.jpg point cloud: http://s23.postimg.org/4mrgn0daz/are_05.jpg http://s23.postimg.org/4mrgn0daz/are_05.jpg 3D top: http://s30.postimg.org/6jfoha3fl/are_08.jpg http://s30.postimg.org/6jfoha3fl/are_08.jpg 3D side: http://s30.postimg.org/3n6fm81r5/are_10.jpg http://s30.postimg.org/3n6fm81r5/are_10.jpg (based on Flying over Arecibo photos, see above) a close-up 3D model: http://s2.postimg.org/4rblqbnwp/are_12.jpg http://s2.postimg.org/4rblqbnwp/are_12.jpg related point cloud: http://s2.postimg.org/pqdgt84i1/are_11.jpg http://s2.postimg.org/pqdgt84i1/are_11.jpg ..based on 500 public photos, taken between 2000-2014 by tourists - sadly that means the receiver moved around. So if you can capture hundreds of photos please go and upload the photos on flickr.com
3rd3 12y ago
I cannot understand why these kind of projects lack funding. Is there no super rich person on this planet who is obsessed with the thought of extraterrestrial life?
- frik 12y ago
  Paul Allen (Microsoft co-founder) is interested in SETI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Telescope_Array http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Telescope_Array Overall Paul Allen has contributed more than $30 million to the project. He may not know yet that Arecibo Observatory needs help though :/ Triva: he is also looking for a wife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IM0SvIiMI4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IM0SvIiMI4
- melling 12y ago
  I cannot understand why people keep turning to the super rich to solve problems. There are 7 billion people on the planet. Isn't it time that the 1 billion of us who appear super rich to the other 6 billion, do little more?
  - 3rd3 12y ago
    I think you misunderstood what I said. I only facetiously pointed out that given these projects lack funding one could conclude that there is no super rich person on this planet which cares about extraterrestrial life (e.g. as a hobby).
    - melling 12y ago
      I was simply trying to point out that "the rest of us" could try and contribute a little more to various goals rather than rely on the super rich. Most readers here are much better off than most other people on the planet. Wouldn't it be great if there was a better way to contribute to "citizen science", for example?
  - ZenPro 12y ago
    What else could they do with super-riches? shrug Ultimately, as evidenced by history, most super-rich reach a stage of life where they realise the riches in themselves were just a way to keep score and large philanthropic contributions ensue. It's a serious philosophical question; once [1] family financial security and [2]a high quality of life has been secured there is very little left to spend money on other than initiatives that benefit mankind or the natural world.
omegaworks 12y ago
> As the National Science Foundation (NSF), which owns Arecibo Observatory, cannot legally carry insurance on its facilities, there is no clear source of funding to carry out such a massive repair. This seems so absurd. Why cant NSF facilities be insured?
- lutorm 12y ago
  AFAIK, doesn't the entire federal government self-insure?
  - maaku 12y ago
    What does that mean? The government pays... itself? How is that different than no insurance?
    - prawn 12y ago
      Presumably they set aside an amount of money based on risk factors and so on. No insurance would mean not having any preparation in place at all.
mturmon 12y ago
The NSF has supported Arecibo for decades now, along with a bunch of other observatories (http://www.astro.cornell.edu/academics/courses/astro201/natobs.htm http://www.astro.cornell.edu/academics/courses/astro201/nato...). NSF has re-evaluated its commitment to these observatories and decided to pull out of several of them so they can pursue new observing opportunities, such as LSST (sky survey for transients) and ATST (solar telescope). Some scientists are unhappy. The complaints I have heard are that these less-centralized telescopes allowed small investigations to get off the ground, and the new ones are large consortia. For more: http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/08/major-u.s.-telescopes-face-funding-ax http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/08/major-u.s.-telescopes-fac...
- peter_l_downs 12y ago
  The LSST is an incredible project. I toured their lab at Brookhaven and one of the lead scientists offhand commented "Yeah, the only problem so far is we're going to have to make something flatter than anyone has ever really made something flat" (referring to the CCD array).

by jpdlla 12y ago

frik 12y ago

Very interesting, thanks for sharing! Btw. she put many awesome photos of the observatory on her flickr stream: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/ some are categorized in albums: * Flying over Arecibo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157642216845184/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157642216845184/ * Sunday Platform Tour: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157633399446014/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157633399446014/ * Arecibo Observatory: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157631700960474/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157631700960474/ * The Platform After Dark: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157631824663769/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157631824663769/ * Sunset from the Lidar Lab: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157632834643572/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/sets/72157632834643572/ an old Sun Sparc workstation: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/8111297074/in/set-72157631700960474 https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/8111297074/in/set-721576... and https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/13952717471/in/set-72157644190691644 https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondy/13952717471/in/set-72157...

frik 12y ago
I computed a 3D model of the Arecibo Observatory: 3D: http://s15.postimg.org/5czp6yi6j/are_04.jpg http://s15.postimg.org/5czp6yi6j/are_04.jpg point cloud: http://s21.postimg.org/3nvdz80vb/are_03.jpg http://s21.postimg.org/3nvdz80vb/are_03.jpg 3D: http://s15.postimg.org/4lk04gwwb/are_06.jpg http://s15.postimg.org/4lk04gwwb/are_06.jpg point cloud: http://s23.postimg.org/4mrgn0daz/are_05.jpg http://s23.postimg.org/4mrgn0daz/are_05.jpg 3D top: http://s30.postimg.org/6jfoha3fl/are_08.jpg http://s30.postimg.org/6jfoha3fl/are_08.jpg 3D side: http://s30.postimg.org/3n6fm81r5/are_10.jpg http://s30.postimg.org/3n6fm81r5/are_10.jpg (based on Flying over Arecibo photos, see above) a close-up 3D model: http://s2.postimg.org/4rblqbnwp/are_12.jpg http://s2.postimg.org/4rblqbnwp/are_12.jpg related point cloud: http://s2.postimg.org/pqdgt84i1/are_11.jpg http://s2.postimg.org/pqdgt84i1/are_11.jpg ..based on 500 public photos, taken between 2000-2014 by tourists - sadly that means the receiver moved around. So if you can capture hundreds of photos please go and upload the photos on flickr.com

3rd3 12y ago

I cannot understand why these kind of projects lack funding. Is there no super rich person on this planet who is obsessed with the thought of extraterrestrial life?

frik 12y ago
Paul Allen (Microsoft co-founder) is interested in SETI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Telescope_Array http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Telescope_Array Overall Paul Allen has contributed more than $30 million to the project. He may not know yet that Arecibo Observatory needs help though :/ Triva: he is also looking for a wife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IM0SvIiMI4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IM0SvIiMI4
melling 12y ago
I cannot understand why people keep turning to the super rich to solve problems. There are 7 billion people on the planet. Isn't it time that the 1 billion of us who appear super rich to the other 6 billion, do little more?
- 3rd3 12y ago
  I think you misunderstood what I said. I only facetiously pointed out that given these projects lack funding one could conclude that there is no super rich person on this planet which cares about extraterrestrial life (e.g. as a hobby).
  - melling 12y ago
    I was simply trying to point out that "the rest of us" could try and contribute a little more to various goals rather than rely on the super rich. Most readers here are much better off than most other people on the planet. Wouldn't it be great if there was a better way to contribute to "citizen science", for example?
- ZenPro 12y ago
  What else could they do with super-riches? shrug Ultimately, as evidenced by history, most super-rich reach a stage of life where they realise the riches in themselves were just a way to keep score and large philanthropic contributions ensue. It's a serious philosophical question; once [1] family financial security and [2]a high quality of life has been secured there is very little left to spend money on other than initiatives that benefit mankind or the natural world.

omegaworks 12y ago

> As the National Science Foundation (NSF), which owns Arecibo Observatory, cannot legally carry insurance on its facilities, there is no clear source of funding to carry out such a massive repair. This seems so absurd. Why cant NSF facilities be insured?

lutorm 12y ago
AFAIK, doesn't the entire federal government self-insure?
- maaku 12y ago
  What does that mean? The government pays... itself? How is that different than no insurance?
  - prawn 12y ago
    Presumably they set aside an amount of money based on risk factors and so on. No insurance would mean not having any preparation in place at all.

mturmon 12y ago

The NSF has supported Arecibo for decades now, along with a bunch of other observatories (http://www.astro.cornell.edu/academics/courses/astro201/natobs.htm http://www.astro.cornell.edu/academics/courses/astro201/nato...). NSF has re-evaluated its commitment to these observatories and decided to pull out of several of them so they can pursue new observing opportunities, such as LSST (sky survey for transients) and ATST (solar telescope). Some scientists are unhappy. The complaints I have heard are that these less-centralized telescopes allowed small investigations to get off the ground, and the new ones are large consortia. For more: http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/08/major-u.s.-telescopes-face-funding-ax http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/08/major-u.s.-telescopes-fac...

peter_l_downs 12y ago
The LSST is an incredible project. I toured their lab at Brookhaven and one of the lead scientists offhand commented "Yeah, the only problem so far is we're going to have to make something flatter than anyone has ever really made something flat" (referring to the CCD array).