The Arecibo Observatory is part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC), operated by a consortium of SRI International, USRA , UMET, under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF).As the site of world's largest single-dish radio telescope, the Arecibo Observatory attracts visitors of all ages and from many countries.

On March 1 1997, after eight years of fund-raising, planning and construction, the Observatory inaugurated its "Angel Ramos Foundation" Visitor Center. Over 100,000 visitors come per year to the new facility, about 30% of them school children. Here, through a variety of interactive exhibits, audiovisual displays, and informative panels, visitors are introduced to basic astronomy, atmospheric science, and to the operation of the radio telescope and its related research areas.

The center is named after Angel Ramos who was born in the year 1902 in Manatí, Puerto Rico. A very active life in the field of communications led to the establishment of the first TV station in Puerto Rico, a radio station and, in 1944, the acquisition of the El Mundo newspaper. He established the Angel Ramos Foundation in 1958 which has developed into the largest private philanthropic institution in Puerto Rico benefitting hundreds of deserving projects.

Funding

The Angel Ramos Foundation provided a matching grant of one half the construction cost of the building. The City of Arecibo, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the Government of Puerto Rico, and several corporations and individuals in Puerto Rico provided the remaining funds. The NSF Informal Science Education Program funded the exhibit program.

The Facility

The Facility consists of approximately 10,000 square feet of building and outdoor space. It houses 3,500 square feet of exhibits, a 100-person auditorium, a science store, and appropriate meeting rooms and office space. It also provides an observation platform that offers a beautiful view of the 305-meter radio telescope. The new building is set dramatically against the region's karst landscape. It was designed by Luis Badillo AIA, of Mendez, Brunner, Badillo and Associates of San Juan, and built by Hector Varela Inc.

The Exhibits

The bilingual educational program centered on the theme "More Than Meets the Eye - Exploring the Invisible Universe", reflects the general idea that we can study our world with tools which extend our direct sensory experience. The program explores the unseen sky and, in particular, the objects that fall under the scrutiny of our radio telescope. Specifically, the program introduces visitors to the electromagnetic spectrum as a means of exploration, offers a framework of basic astronomy and atmospheric science, and provides understanding of the function and operation of the radio telescope. Some of Arecibo's most exciting new discoveries in the fields of radio astronomy, solar system radar astronomy and the earth's atmosphere are presented.

With the guidance of members of the Observatory staff the exhibits were designed by Zalisk Martin Associates of Cambridge, Mass. Caribbean Woodworking of San Juan, fabricated exhibit infrastructure and Museum Productions of Toronto, Canada fabricated interactive exhibits.

In the auditorium, visitors can experience the scientific research facility of the Observatory as a dynamic organism through a 20 minute audiovisual show funded by the Angel Ramos Foundation entitled "A Day in the Life of the Arecibo Observatory". The show tells the story of the people who make Arecibo possible, from the guards and kitchen staff to the telescope operators, staff and visiting scientists.