National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center
Aerial view of the Observatory
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| Alternative names | National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center |
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| Named after |
Arecibo, William E. Gordon 
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| Location(s) | Arecibo, Puerto Rico, US |
| Coordinates | 18°20′39″N 66°45′10″W / 18.34417°N 66.75278°WCoordinates: 18°20′39″N 66°45′10″W / 18.34417°N 66.75278°W |
| Organization |
Metropolitan University National Science Foundation SRI International Universities Space Research Association
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| Observatory code | 251 |
| Altitude | 497 m (1,631 ft) |
| Wavelength | 3 cm (10.0 GHz)-1 m (300 MHz) |
| Built | 1960–November 1963 |
| Telescope style |
Gregorian telescope observatory radio telescope Spherical reflector
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| Diameter | 305 m (1,000 ft 8 in) |
| Secondary diameter | 27 m (88 ft 7 in) |
| Collecting area | 73,000 m2 (790,000 sq ft) |
| Focal length | 132.6 m (435 ft) |
| Mounting | altazimuth mount |
| Website | www |
 Location of Arecibo Observatory
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National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center
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| Nearest city | Arecibo |
| Area | 118 acres (480,000 m2) |
| Architect | Gordon, William E; Kavanaugh, T.C. |
| Engineer | von Seb, Inc., T.C. Kavanaugh of Praeger-Kavanagh, and Severud-Elstad-Krueger Associates |
| NRHP Reference # | 07000525 |
| Added to NRHP | September 23, 2008 |
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The Arecibo Observatory is a radio telescope in the municipality of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. This observatory is operated by SRI International, USRA and UMET, under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF). The observatory is the sole facility of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC), which refers to the observatory, and the staff that operates it. From its construction in the 1960s until 2011, the observatory was managed by Cornell University.
The observatory's 1,000-foot (305-metre) radio telescope was the largest single-aperture telescope from its completion in 1963 until July 2016 when the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope was completed. It is used in three major areas of research: radio astronomy, atmospheric science, and radar astronomy. Scientists who want to use the observatory submit proposals that are evaluated by an independent scientific board.
The observatory has appeared in film, gaming and television productions, gaining more recognition in 1999 when it began to collect data for the SETI@home project. It has been listed on the American National Register of Historic Places starting in 2008. It was the featured listing in the National Park Service's weekly list of October 3, 2008. The center was named an IEEE Milestone in 2001. It has a visitor center that is open part-time.
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Wikipedia