Hurricane "Maria" damaged the equipment of the second-largest radio telescope "Arecibo". This is reported on the website of the University Association of Space Research.

"We will need a full assessment of the damage, the necessary repairs, when the observatory can resume observations," said Nicholas White, senior vice president for science of the association.

The telescope was shut down due to the hurricane approaching on September 19, it was planned to suspend the observations until September 21, and until September 27 to close the visiting center.

The 300-meter radio telescope was the largest in the world before the construction of a giant FAST antenna in China. "Arecibo" conducts observations of distant astrophysical objects and near-Earth potentially dangerous asteroids, reports the Main with reference to Ukrinform.

Earlier it was reported that tropical storm "Mary" was formed on September 17 in the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of South America and the Caribbean Sea. Later it intensified before the hurricane. As a result of the disaster killed more than 30 people.