Have you watched the movie Contact? Perhaps the James Bond
Golden Eye? then you’re atleast a bit familiar with the Arecibo
observatory in Puerto Rico, by far the world’s largest single-
dish radio telescope. This large complex is operated in a
cooperation between Cornell University, NSF and NASA aimed at
radio, atmosphere and radar science. Though it’s basically
American and Puerto Rico is only an American common wealth
Puerto Rico was chosen as the main site since it’s the American
territory that’s closest to the Equator and has the right
terrain to support the gigantic dish. What’s to see? Yep, a big
dish. There is a fascinating introduction movie playing in
Spanish and English as well as several exhibitions in the nearby
visitor’s center. I wouldn’t bother you with details, there’s
very little of the whole thing that I truly understand. But it’s
quite an adventure Most of the visitors, I think it won’t
surprise you, were interested in the attempts to detect
extraterrestrial life, called the "Arecibo message