I visited the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico when I was six years old and it was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. However, soon after, it was decided that funding for the observatory would slowly be cut off until it shut down...the biggest single telescope in the world was being shut down! This bums me out still today.
However, a recent advancement made be scientists at the ARO may change the current pattern of funding towards the telescope. Until now, estimates of mass for asteroids and other orbiting bodies were close but could have been off by quite a bit, making understanding them completely very difficult. Scientists at the Arecibo dish have determined a way to measure the mass of an orbiting body using the radio dish. This new technology may be just enough to keep the institution alive and functioning as the world's biggest and most famous telescope.
I chose this article because the Arecibo Observatory is very importtant to me and my choice to follow my interest in Astronomy. I am personally very glad that the ARO is being kept alive because I believe that, despite its age, it is one of the best radio observatories the world has ever and will ever see. I loved the news from this article.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/news/asteroid20120524.html
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