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。

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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。