Whilst working on the dark galaxies story for New Scientist (see blog entry for 20 June 2007), Dr Robert Minchin mentioned that the Arecibo telescope is in danger of having its funding withdrawn.

Today, the following press release was issued: “The planetary radar system at the Arecibo Observatory, which Cornell manages for the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC), is the most powerful in the world and is considered the best tool for tracking asteroids that may be on a collision course with the Earth.”

Read the full story here.