By Tim Binnall
The National Science Foundation has released a jaw-dropping video which shows the collapse of the Arecibo observatory from two different angles as it unfolded earlier this week. According a statement by the organization, the first piece of footage from the fateful incident comes courtesy of the site's control tower. In the video clip, the 900-pound instrument panel perched above the telescope dish can be seen suddenly breaking loose from the cables holding it up, crashing to the ground, and creating a sizeable cloud of smoke as well as a sadly empty sky from the perspective of the tower.
The second clip, which the NSF says was "taken from the vantage point of an Arecibo Observatory drone, utilized for monitoring the condition of Tower 4 support cables" offers an even closer look at the stunning moment of collapse. In that footage, a single, seemingly innocuous wire suddenly breaks and sets off a veritable domino effect wherein the heavy support cables violently snap in an almost operatic moment of destruction. Seemingly uncertain of where exactly to film as all of this was unfolding, the drone operator attempts to capture the whole dramatic scene which ultimately concludes with a wide angle view of the destroyed telescope.