Room: Room 101, Morrison Gallery, Bldg: Madlyn L Hanes Library (Building D), Penn State Harrisburg, 777 West Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, Pennsylvania, United States, 17507

The Arecibo Observatory first opened in 1963, has been named an IEEE Milestone in Electrical Engineering and Computing in 2001, and has been a marvel in engineering ever since. It has been a monumental instrument for scientific research in the fields of astronomy, planetary radar, ionospheric probing and HF heating modification, and optical probing of the atmosphere. While the science and the discoveries are well known to many, the antenna technology and engineering are equally as impressive as the discoveries. The original concept, by Prof. William Gordon in the Electrical Engineering Department at Cornell University, was for a 1000 foot parabolic dish aiming only at zenith, with no tracking capability for studies of the ionosphere with the newly developed technique of incoherent scatter radar (ISR). Fortunately, knowledge of some on-going research with spherical reflectors was suggested where the feed could be moved to slew the beam. This talk will discuss the unique designs over the years of antenna feeds and associated engineering for frequencies from HF well into the microwaves. Many upgrades occurred during these years and will be described in detail in the ways they have provided significant improvements to the Observatory’s capabilities. Most of the 430 MHz 96 foot line feed antenna broke off and fell through the dish in 2017 during Hurricane Maria. Then in December 2020, the platform fell into the dish destroying large sections of the dish and the equipment in the platform. There is so much more to tell about the engineering at Arecibo that will be the subject of this presentation. Dinner will consist of: - Chicken Bruschetta - Garden Salad - Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Honey Roasted Carrots - Assorted Dinner Rolls - Brownies Parking for the event is free and is in the parking lot south of the library. See the below map of the PSU Harrisburg for an overview on where the building and parking is located. There is a fee for the entire dinner+presentation event. There is no fee for only attending the presentation. Speaker(s): Jim Breakall, Agenda: Dinner: 6:00 - 7:00 PM Presentation: 7:00 - 8:30 PM Room: Room 101, Morrison Gallery, Bldg: Madlyn L Hanes Library (Building D), Penn State Harrisburg, 777 West Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, Pennsylvania, United States, 17507