"The receipt of an interstellar message would be one of the major events in human history and the beginning of the deprovincialization of our planet."
In 1974, we reached out. We used the largest ear on Earth to scream into the void, targeting the M13 globular cluster. 21,000 years from now, our digital DNA will arrive—a proof of existence sent across the cosmic ocean.
To announce ourselves to the cosmos. To cease being inhabitants of a single planet and become citizens of a galaxy.
At 07:55 AST, the 900-ton instrument platform suffered a total structural failure. The main support cables snapped, sending the Gregorian dome crashing through the primary reflector dish.
The "Ear of the World" has fallen. While the Arecibo Message continues its journey through the M13 cluster, the site of its origin is now a tomb of twisted steel and shattered glass.