NAIC's Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico

What Is It?

The Arecibo Observatory-- at nearly 1000' across--is the world's largest radio and radar telescope. Located in northwestern Puerto Rico, the original facility was built 40+ years ago, but it underwent major upgrades in the 1970s and in 1997-99. Most recently, a detector installed in April 2005 increased its data collection rate seven-fold. The telescope's great sensitivity enables forefront research in astronomy, planetary studies, and ionospheric/atmospheric sciences. The Observatory is part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) and is operated by Cornell under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Annually 200 scientists, along with 50 undergraduate and graduate students, use the telescope. The observatory operates with a staff of about 125 and a yearly budget of about $12M, 5/6ths of which comes from NSF-astronomy and most of the remainder from NSF-atmospheres.

Among past achievements, Arecibo discovered and monitored a binary pulsar (for which a Nobel Prize was awarded), found the first extrasolar planets and elucidated the 3-D structure of the visible universe (leading to a Draper Medal). Currently a radio survey ALFA is being carried out to discover numerous pulsars and to clarify the nature of the dark universe. Arecibo's radar has made fundamental discoveries about the inner solar system, and is by far the most capable telescope worldwide for imaging, characterizing and determining the precise orbits for asteroids that potentially threaten Earth. In the atmospheric sciences, Arecibo is acknowledged as America's best ionospheric laboratory.

What Is the Current Situation?

On Nov. 3, an advisory panel, the Senior Review, recommended to the NSF astronomy division that Arecibo's $10.5 million annual budget be cut to $8 million over the next three years; this reduction is leading the astronomy program to focus on the survey primarily and eliminate any radar capability. The panel further states that Arecibo should be closed entirely in 2011 if $4 million in annual outside funding cannot be identified. The panel had been appointed to locate $30 million in savings (about 25% of the entire budget of NSF's five national observatories) that could be redirected to develop cutting-edge instruments and telescopes. This target was set two years ago and was predicated on the premise that NSF's budget would be flat for the next five years, which fortunately has not occurred so far.

What Is Cornell's Response?

Cornell supports the NSF's overall goal to find funds to carry out new initiatives. Indeed we have started to reduce Arecibo's annual astronomy budget to $8M. Nonetheless, we remain dedicated to the core scientific programs of the Arecibo Observatory and we are confident that the telescope has the potential for important discoveries well into the next decade. Hence we believe that the recommendation for closure is premature and perhaps ill-founded.

What Other Points Should Be Considered?

• The Senior Review was in error in stating that our current surveys would be finished by 2010, which then fixed the proposed closing date. ALFA is expected to continue well into the next decade. Moreover, as unusual faint objects are discovered in this sky-monitoring, Arecibo likely to be the only telescope capable of examining them in detail and of following their evolution.
• NAIC is likely to lead the technological development of the US contribution to the Square Kilometer Array, a $1B international radio project. Arecibo provides a most useful test bed for various associated technologies.
• The Arecibo radar is essential to carry out a Congressional mandate (2005 NASA Re-Authorization Bill) to assess the nature of hazardous Near Earth objects.
• Arecibo is an important ionospheric observatory and yet the atmospheric division of NSF was not consulted by the Senior Review.
• A $5M project to sandblast and repaint the structure will begin next month. This will extend the telescope's life by 20-30 years.
• The telescope, arguably Earth's most recognizable scientific instrument and thus a technological icon, is a visible symbol of technology in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• Both the telescope and the self-sufficient visitor center at Arecibo are important contributors to the Puerto Rican economy. The center draws 120,000 visitors each year, more than any other NSF facility; about 30% of these are Hispanic school children. It is a primary educational, scientific outreach facility in Puerto Rico and indeed for students throughout Latin America.
• The telescope's fate should be determined by the next decadal survey by the astronomy community that is to start in a few years.