ARECIBO, Puerto Rico (CNN) � New video shows the devastating moment one of the world’s most powerful telescopes collapsed.
The National Science Foundation released drone video that caught the moment when the telescope platform at the Arecibo Observatory fell on December 1.
Engineers said all three support towers broke off causing the 900 ton platform to plummet down into a dish below.
Video shows the telescope’s support cables also dropped.
Officials said the observatory’s learning center was damaged by the falling cables. No one was injured.
The 1,000 foot telescope had been used for astronomical discoveries for 57 years.
Just a few weeks ago, the National Science Foundation announced it was decommissioning the telescope because it suffered irreparable damage earlier this year.
Officials planned to use a controlled demolition to disassemble the instrument.
