Letter from the Principal Investigator

Dr. Julie Brisset, Director of the Florida Space Institute, shares updates about the Arecibo Observatory.

Arecibo in News

Happy Asteroid Day (June 30th)!

The need for continued eyes on rocks in space was emphasized in 2019 when an undetected, relatively large asteroid surprised astronomers with an unexpected close flyby of the Earth. We now know much more about that asteroid, thanks to a recent publication led by AO’s Luisa Zambrano-Marin, that details the analysis of the quickly-obtained Arecibo radar data following the asteroid’s discovery. + Read the Press Release

The NSF has shared the “Arecibo Telescope Collapse Forensic Investigation” report by Thorton Tomasetti.

#AOScienceNow

Space Weather Forecasting from AO

Space weather can have a significant impact on GPS and Communication satellites at Earth. Understanding the solar activity that produces these events is becoming increasingly important. Using the 12-m telescope and Callisto radio spectrometer, AO is making unique contributions to this important area of study.

Learn more about why we are studying Space Weather with AO and check out our new Space Weather website.

Click here to see some of the most exciting recent detections of Space Weather events.

Exciting updates for Arecibo’s Remote Optical Facility

Summer 2022 updates for the Puerto Rican Initiative for Studies using Meteor Radar (PRISMA) and Culebra Aerosol Research LIDAR (CARLA) project has achieved first light! + Read More

12m Antenna

The 12 meter radio telescope at AO makes new measurements of the radio continuum + Read More

Cryogenic frontend work on the 12-m antenna enters Phase II. + Read More

AO Announcement

ENCANTO (2022-2023) Program

We are looking for students for our new ENCANTO program: Enhancing and Nurturing Careers in Astronomy with New Training Opportunities! Applications due August 31st. + Learn More

Training the Next Generation at AO

AO REU Program

AO welcomed a new group of students this summer for the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program! Here’s what they had to say about their experience:
+ Read More

Single Dish Summer School

The first hybrid Single Dish Summer School gave students across the country the chance to learn how to process data from the Arecibo Observatory.
+ Read More

Arecibo Intern in Planetary Radar

As an intern at Arecibo, Luis Rivera Gabriel identified the best-quality radar datasets for followup studies of near-Earth asteroids.
+ Read More

STAR Academy

Graduates of the AO STAR Academy are pursuing STEM careers and solidifying their scientific identity.
+ Read More

Facility Updates

Summer greetings from the Facilities and Operations Team

The Facilities and Operations team has been hard at work on several maintenance and improvement projects. Of highest priority is the Arecibo Restoration Project which includes several subprojects including Optical Lab Repairs, Erosion Control Measures, HF, Security Cameras, 12m Repairs, and more.

Science Highlights

Piercing through the Clouds of Venus with Arecibo Radar

New results exploring the surface of Venus with Arecibo and Magellan Radar studies. Lead author Dr. Bruce Campbell talks about the importance of using Arecibo for this research work.