Arecibo: The Largest Telescope
The Arecibo radio telescope is currently the largest single-dish telescope in the world. First opening in 1963, this 305 meter (1000 foot) radio telescope resides in a natural valley of Puerto Rico. The Arecibo telescope has been used for many astronomical research projects , including searches and studies of pulsars , and mapping atomic and molecular gas in the Galaxy and the universe . As the Arecibo dish can also be used to send radio waves, it has bounced and recorded radiation off of planets in our Solar System , and has even broadcast messages to areas of the Galaxy that might contain intelligent extra-terrestrial life . Any person in the world may use the telescope, providing their proposal is selected by a review committee. Information: The Scale of the Universe Debate in April 1996