NSF released some great footage of the collapse of the 900 ton instrument platform of the Arecibo radio observatory. Of course it’s really sad, but it’s also a fascinating study in engineering, failure, and the costs of poor design and maintenance.
Looking at the paint peeling off the cables at the 1 minute mark makes me want to go add more primer to the fascia of my roof.
When I think of Arecibo, I remember reading in my astronomy textbook (long ago, before Wikipedia) about the bitmap we sent to the star cluster in Hercules (M13). Transmitted in 1974, it’s about .2% of the way to its destination, by my figuring.
Of course the observatory has been used for a lot more than that. Here are some highlights.
Scott's Sky Shots 