Puerto Rico Radio-Telescope Arecibo Observatory

This post documents a daytime visit to the legendary Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, when the 305-meter radio telescope was still fully operational and open to the public. While these are not night-sky images, Arecibo was one of the most important scientific instruments ever built for radio astronomy, planetary radar, and the study of the ionosphere.

For many amateur astronomers and astrophotographers, visiting Arecibo felt like a pilgrimage — standing beneath a structure that helped characterize asteroids, study pulsars, and expand our understanding of the universe using radio waves rather than visible light.

View of the Arecibo Radio Telescope reflector and suspended receiver platform, photographed from the observation deck

Receiver platform of the Arecibo Radio Telescope, viewed from the observation deck

Flowers in the foreground with the Arecibo Observatory and its suspended receiver platform visible in the background

Anatomy of the Arecibo Radio Telescope

Arecibo Observatory Logo

Galaxy Shop

Arecibo Observatory visitor center

Angel Ramos Foundation Visitor Center inside

Observatory Visitor Center inside

Star planetarium

Milky Way Model

Poster

Observatory Flags

Arecibo observatory and Angel Ramos Foundation Visitor Center

Telephoto zoom of the Arecibo Radio Telescope receiver platform, captured from the observation deck

Anatomy of the Arecibo Radio Telescope in the foreground, with the suspended receiver platform visible behind

Related Posts

• Puerto Rico Astrophotography — Night Sky & Observatories
• Bioluminescent Astrophotography — Laguna Grande Bio Bay
• Lighthouse Astrophotography — Cabo San Juan (Fajardo)

Other Observatory Visits

In addition to Arecibo, I have visited and documented several major astronomical observatories across different regions. Each site reflects a distinct approach to exploring the universe, from optical telescopes to large-scale radio arrays.

• Mauna Kea Observatories — Big Island, Hawaii
  A collection of world-class optical and infrared observatories located above the clouds on Mauna Kea.
• The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) — New Mexico
  A radio astronomy interferometer consisting of 27 movable antennas, studying the universe at radio wavelengths.
• Custer Institute & Observatory — Long Island, New York
  One of the oldest public observatories in the United States, focused on education and amateur astronomy.
• Lowell Observatory — Flagstaff, Arizona
  Historic observatory associated with the discovery of Pluto and continued planetary research.
• Sky’s The Limit Observatory — Joshua Tree National Park
  A public observatory operating under exceptionally dark desert skies, supporting outreach and astrophotography.

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Historical note:
All images in this post were captured while the Arecibo Observatory was fully active and intact. These photographs predate major damage from Hurricane Maria (2017) and the later structural failures in 2020, including the auxiliary cable break in August and the second cable break in November, which led to the telescope’s collapse on December 1, 2020.

Arecibo remains one of the most iconic sites in the history of astronomy. This post is preserved as a visual record of the observatory during its operational years.