50 Years of Out-of-This-World Research at Arecibo Observatory

Dr. Kerr will describe the past, present, and future of Arecibo Observatory-the world's largest, most sensitive single-dish radio telescope, located in Puerto Rico. Preeminent for its research in astronomy, space studies, and atmospheric science, the facility is a unique resource for the research community. Its legacy includes the first radar-ranging of an earth orbit-crossing asteroid, early maps of several solar system objects, a Nobel Prize for confirming Einstein's general theory of relativity through the timing of binary pulsar orbital decay, and the first detection of planets orbiting another star-among dozens of its other breathtaking discoveries. The 1,000-foot-wide telescope has even appeared in movies (GoldenEye, Contact) and TV (The X Files). More than 100,000 people visit the facility each year. As it marks its first half-century, the Observatory is expected to continue to amaze the world with its discoveries for generations to come.

Speaker: Dr. Robert Kerr, Arecibo Observatory