ARECIBO, Puerto Rico — New video shows the devastating moment one of the most powerful telescopes on Earth collapsed.
Drone footage caught the moment when the telescope platform at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico fell on December 1.
Engineers say all three support towers broke off, causing the 900 ton platform to plummet down into a dish below.
READ: A second mysterious repeating fast radio signal has been detected in space
Video shows the telescope's support cables also dropped.
Officials say the observatory's learning center was damaged by the falling cables and no one was injured.
The 1,000 foot telescope had been used for astronomical discoveries for 57-years.
READ: Asteroid looks like it's wearing a mask
It was also featured in movies including “Goldeneye” and “Contact.”
A few weeks ago, the National Science Foundation announced it was decommissioning the telescope because it sustained irreparable damage earlier this year.
Officials planned to use a controlled demolition to disassemble the instrument.
