Arecibo

You guys seen Goldeneye? Remember that scene towards the end on top of this big white bowl where they were all bashing each other, while pausing to make smart remarks? Well, here is the bowl, or rather the paraphenalia that hovers over the bowl.



That is the World's largest radar telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. And just to let you chaps know that I am a real daredevil, except that I decline to wear my underwear on top of my trousers, note that I went on top of that stuff hanging in mid-air in the background. It is quite a sight from there. Basically the bowl covers the whole valley floor, with the neighbouring clifftops servings as stands for the pillars that act as hooks to hang the radar-beam projector on. You can see all of Puerto Rico from there, not that there is much to see.

Hail scientific tourism. All in aid of science. Pshaw!

So, what to radar astronomers do? They study pretty rocks in space called asteroids, e.g., Ida, which has its own private sidekick (satellite), Dactyl.



Serves the kids in the picture below right for hauling water and missing school.

Yeah, something's just ain't right.