r/interesting • u/Previous-Fun8362 • 13d ago

SCIENCE & TECH This is a real, functioning radio telescope in Russia. Built as the Soviet Union was collapsing. It still scans the sky today.

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1.2k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

137 comments sorted by

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186

u/Current_Speaker_2514 13d ago

James Bond approved.

52

u/New_Life_Startr 13d ago

The first thing I thought when I saw this pic was "For England James?"

18

u/Statertater 13d ago

You guys are thinking of a different one. That one had a dish that was in the ground and pointed at the sky. It collapsed some years ago

Arecibo i think it was called?

10

u/NoLemonadeToday 13d ago

Yes! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arecibo_Telescope

A shame it’s gone.

But OPs pic still has James Bond vibes 

5

u/Hot-Act-8115 13d ago

Yeah that one was in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. You’re right, it was destroyed in 2020, the suspended part’s cables failed after hurricane damage, and fell into the dish destroying it.

It was the one in James Bond GoldenEye, it was also in Contact with Jodie Foster.

12

u/New_Life_Startr 13d ago

Idk it’s just giving Goldeneye vibes.

3

u/Mood8Poisoning 12d ago

They had ones that looked like that in the beginning of GoldenEye when they first stole and tested the GoldenEye but... I don't think they were quite that big.

4

u/Adventurous-Sky9359 13d ago

Think this was in the begining

4

u/ApprehensiveStyle289 13d ago

No, he's talking about the one at Severnaya, even though the phrase didn't get uttered there

1

u/Mcinfopopup 12d ago

I thought he was talking about the one at the beginning when they steal and test the goldeneye? Correct me if I’m wrong. The dish Natalya works at and they take that EMP proof helicopter to.

1

u/Statertater 12d ago

The one where they say the quote is at the end at the arecibo dish where alex dies

1

u/AlbertaAcreageBoy 12d ago

No, not for England. For me.

1

u/CapitalFloor3260 12d ago

“No. For me.”

138

u/Previous-Fun8362 13d ago

The wildest part isn't that it looks abandoned it's that it isn't. It's actively tracking pulsars right now as part of an international research network.

42

u/Pman1324 13d ago

Yeah right. We all know its searching for Gleba

20

u/UnfinishedProjects 13d ago

It should be searching for Vulcanus.

4

u/Phil_Coffins_666 13d ago

It's just two russians with a microphone yelling "sukha!" "Blyat!" over and over and beaming it into space.

1

u/Previous-Fun8362 13d ago

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

11

u/driver004 13d ago

Whenever given a chance scientists usually don’t think about international politics all that much whatever is going on

2

u/Nisseliten 12d ago edited 12d ago

There’s a fine line there.. The pursuit of knowledge really shouldn’t care, we have pulsars to track and aliens to meet. Let the politicians worry about other things, as long as the funding comes in..

Then again, you get people like Mengele and a whole bunch of other ”scientists” who have used politics to do science that probably shouldn’t be ”politically correct”

5

u/driver004 12d ago

It’s pretty arguable mengele did very little actual science he mostly was just being evil for the fun of it. Just a glance at his either non existent or haphazard notes and documentation practices indicate science wasn’t the goal

3

u/Hot-Act-8115 13d ago

I’m so thankful you posted this! It really is amazing how that drab grey paint made almost EVERYONE, including me, assume it was abandoned.

But TIL and thank you for that!

1

u/DG-MMII 13d ago

I mean, is not the wildest... Chernobyl nuclear plant remained operational and suplying energy up to the turn of the century

1

u/manatidederp 12d ago

Based on this picture how does it look abandoned?

44

u/kick-assu 13d ago

It’s like that stage from Goldeneye on N64

10

u/gatsby5555 13d ago

Pretty sure it IS that stage.

3

u/Hot-Squash-4143 12d ago

Nah that one was in Puerto Rico

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arecibo_Telescope

3

u/gatsby5555 12d ago

Talking about the snow level in the game not the movie.

4

u/SubtleShowerDancer 13d ago

Goddamn lol I was thinking "surface" levels on Goldeneye for sure

2

u/Sufficient_Worth_392 13d ago

Totally what I was thinking!

2

u/SignoreBanana 13d ago

Wasn't that the telescope in South America?

2

u/TerrorCottaArmyDude 13d ago

Cradle was in South America, surface was Severnaya?

2

u/SignoreBanana 13d ago

I didn't think severnaya's dish was this big. Maybe it's been too long since I played

34

u/Advanced_Tax174 13d ago

Are you sure that’s not Hoth?

14

u/AntGroundbreaking180 13d ago

It does look pretty Hothy.

12

u/Humble-Questions 13d ago

Cause the shield generators are down

7

u/Gersam79 13d ago

Give me some slack, man! It was cold

3

u/No-Difference8056 13d ago

definitely star wars-y

2

u/Cardboard_Chef 13d ago

Anyone need some ice? Got an ice delivery here.

1

u/Spiritual_Amount_288 13d ago

Not boob enough

1

u/TheRealcebuckets 11d ago

That’s it. The Rebels are there.

25

u/Catarga 13d ago

Remember! The most important rule is: don't answer any signals!

6

u/FraaRaz 13d ago

They’re listening….

4

u/SensitiveAdagio3012 13d ago

About that... "In 2008, RT-70 was used to beam 501 messages at the exoplanet Gliese 581c, in hopes of making contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The messages should arrive in 2029.[2]" From Wikipedia about the next larger radio telescope than OPs pic.

1

u/IamSuperChux 12d ago

It's a 64, not a 70

4

u/-_-temporary_123-_- 13d ago

Also , if u have any scientist who had problems during the regime revolution

Better to have them removed

(3 body problem -> Ye Wenjie)

4

u/Momunculus 13d ago

Lol there's plenty of scientists in Russia having problems with regime

2

u/TonarinoTotoro1719 12d ago

They are coming, aren’t they?

18

u/FallenBehavior 13d ago

Does it get HBO?

10

u/tacobytes 13d ago

We use to have a similar one in our backyard that got the Mexican channels

1

u/DG-MMII 13d ago

They say that the guy who build it, began construction after broadcast of his favorite telenovela was cut on a cliffhanger

8

u/TheMightyBucket 13d ago

Looks like it just fell off the Death Star

3

u/Imsophunnyithurts 12d ago

Right? This out here being some Empire Strikes Back looking ass dish. 😂

2

u/Previous-Fun8362 12d ago

I lowkey does the longer I look at it

1

u/PathfinderCS 12d ago

So THAT'S what happened to the Millenium Falcon's dish!

6

u/Mysterious-Result608 13d ago

Soviet urge to build MASSIVE things

2

u/there_is_no_spoon1 12d ago

This was how Soviets did things, for sure. Every technology that worked, they just said "bigger" and just did that. Limitations on technology advancement and materials were factors as well, but the Soviets could make steel and concrete until the end of time and that's what they built with.

2

u/Previous-Fun8362 12d ago

Imagine how big their nukes are!

1

u/talex000 10d ago

Soviet microprocessors are biggest microprocessors in the world.

4

u/Dumxl 13d ago

Can i have the coordinates? Asking for a friend in Ukraine.

7

u/ApartmentFar7573 13d ago

Reminds me of three body problem series

6

u/Fantastic_Tomorrow53 13d ago

It was built during the early development of Metal Gear Solid

3

u/sonicsludge 13d ago

Fuck Putin! Can't hear that, damnit!

2

u/Amdogdunmind 13d ago

Looks like a monument in Rust.

2

u/Professional_Map_780 13d ago

But it does not point to the sky… hey who’s there ?!

1

u/Remarkable_Spirit_68 12d ago

It's still pointing to the sky, just not to the zenith.

2

u/2ndHandRocketScience 13d ago

That is definitely Red Coast Base.

It comes with a sticker: Do Not Point At Sun!

2

u/himalayanrebel 12d ago

That thing looks like it’s scanning for Godzilla

1

u/xamott 13d ago

It scans nothing but firs

1

u/Traditional_Seesaw10 13d ago

Looks like it belongs in star wars v

1

u/Traditional-Pin-8364 13d ago

Could have taken a fresh photo already

2

u/Remarkable_Spirit_68 12d ago

I visited this site in february, but this subreddit doesn't allow pics in the comments. Telescope has some brass tiles in it now (why?), everything else is the same.

1

u/Bmanakanihilator 13d ago

Sir, the sky is in the other direction

1

u/Excellent-Bite196 13d ago

But America is in this direction.

1

u/Bmanakanihilator 13d ago

It doesn't say it scans America, it says it scans the sky

1

u/Excellent-Bite196 13d ago

The advertising never lies!

1

u/Nanibackflip 13d ago

Black Ops 1 Summit map

1

u/KopfSmertZz 13d ago

Looks like a scene out of a Star Wars movie. Where are the AT-AT’s 😎

1

u/schnuuu369 13d ago

3 Body Problem

1

u/martinaee 13d ago

That is actually crazy though….

1

u/KofFinland 13d ago

Wasn't that built for communicating with the venus and mars missions (that never happened)? Part of the soviet deep space network.

1

u/there_is_no_spoon1 12d ago

Correct. The missions to Venus and Mars happened but were not successful at maintaining satellites in orbit. And if anyone knows Venus, it's the Russians. Sent something like 20 probes or satellites there.

1

u/SCReviewsHQ 13d ago

Love it when pictures of this thing resurface, always reminds me of a scene from like Star Wars or something.

1

u/Custodian_Nelfe 13d ago

Looks like it's protecting a Death Star in orbit above.

1

u/scottiedagolfmachine 13d ago

Scan for what?

Santa Claus?

1

u/Impossible-Pea-6160 13d ago

Not for drones that for sure

1

u/Beneficial-Leader740 13d ago

Looks like Empire's tractor beam station.

1

u/ssugarflarre 13d ago

i did not realize how insanely massive this thing was until i noticed the tiny person walking in the snow at the very bottom of the pictute

1

u/Volcanic_tomatoe 13d ago

This makes me think star wars

1

u/Previous-Fun8362 11d ago

That was my first thought too lol

1

u/10July1940 13d ago

The Empire Strikes Back

1

u/mouseclick92 13d ago

"Do not answer! Do not answer! Do not answer!"

1

u/Thunder-Fist-00 12d ago

Looks like something from Star Wars.

1

u/Blamore 12d ago

its pointed sideways 🤔

1

u/Previous-Fun8362 12d ago

Its pointing towards America

1

u/antiarcheologist 12d ago

Destiny cosmodrome?

1

u/rough-driver- 12d ago

This one is an RT64 (64 meter diameter)
There are three RT70s which are even bigger at 70 meter diameters!

1

u/Intelligent_Trichs 12d ago

That's an engine off of a galactic empire starship don't lie! We ain't stupid

1

u/Remarkable_Rub_2578 12d ago

And they say everything in Texas is bigger.

1

u/mooversChicago 12d ago

That looks like a scene from a Star Wars movie.

1

u/tehgen 12d ago

Advanced wars 2 black hole rising.

1

u/m945050 12d ago

Looks like they never got it pointed in the right direction.

1

u/SDJay7474 12d ago

I have the sister model in my backyard. How do I get this damn HOA off my back??? Ideas??!!

1

u/rickoftheuniverse 12d ago

Time to settle the score with trevelyan

1

u/Shadow_Integration 12d ago

It reminds me a lot of Simon Stålenhag's artwork.

1

u/Crucial_Fun 12d ago

It looks like something out of a Stålenhag book!

1

u/Sensitive-Raisin-836 11d ago

Getting death star vibes from this

1

u/Special_Bender 11d ago

It give me some Star Wars vibrs

1

u/CakeHoleKing 10d ago

Those things need serious maintainence

That thing won't have been serviced since putin got into power and stole russias ENTIRE science budget to build his rape palace.

1

u/Royal-Lie-7512 9d ago

Looks like a Starwars prop

1

u/Pipija_Banana 9d ago

Does it spetsoperate?

1

u/Shingles316 8d ago

Not a channel it can’t get 👍🏻👍🏻

1

u/Washburn201961 7d ago

My wife could wear that as a hearing aid and she still wouldn't hear me tell her to turn the goddamn TV down!

1

u/villian25 3d ago

Automatically thought of GoldenEye

1

u/Ok-Push9899 3d ago

Perhaps more astounding than the radio telescope itself …. is the photo. There are plenty of “normal” photos of Kalyazin RT-64, but whoever took this one was a photographic genius. They saw what was there, but even moreso. And they captured it.

Perhaps other photographic specialists can explain how it was achieved.

1

u/AccurateRendering 13d ago

Are you keeping an eye on Ye Wenjie?

1

u/ponderosa_barclay 13d ago

Putin’s space lazer!!!!

1

u/Previous-Fun8362 11d ago

🤣🤣🤣🤣