美阿雷西博望遠鏡坍塌

Arecibo Observatory collapses

美阿雷西博望遠鏡坍塌

The instrument platform of the 305-meter telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapsed overnight, according to the National Science Foundation.

美國國家科學基金會確認，位於波多黎各的阿雷西博望遠鏡的設備平臺坍塌。阿雷西博望遠鏡口徑305米，是地球上最強大的望遠鏡之一，坍塌是對它的最後一擊。

It's a final blow to one of the most powerful telescopes on Earth that has aided astronomical discoveries for 57 years and withstood hurricanes, earthquakes and tropical storms.

工作57年來，阿雷西博望遠鏡爲衆多天文發現提供了幫助，並經受住了颶風、地震和熱帶風暴的考驗。

Engineers assessed the damage and determined that all three of the telescope's support towers broke off, sending the 900-ton instrument platform plummeting down to the dish below.

工程師已評估了損壞情況，確定望遠鏡的三個支撐塔全部斷裂，重達900噸的設備平臺墜落到下面的碟形反射盤上。

The telescope's support cables also dropped.

此外，望遠鏡的支撐鋼纜也已斷裂。

The collapse occurred just weeks after NSF announced that the telescope would be decommissioned and disassembled through a controlled demolition after sustaining irreparable damage earlier this year.

幾周前，美國國家科學基金會宣佈，阿雷西博望遠鏡在今年早些時候遭受了無法修補的損毀，將被關閉並以可控方式拆除。