New Mexico National Solar Observatory, nearby post office mysteriously shut down over 'security issue'

Jessica Schladebeck
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Wed, 12 Sep 2018 20:11 UTC

National Solar Observatory. Dunn Solar Telescope at Sacramento Peak, New Mexico.

The National Solar Observatory in New Mexico has been closed down for days with little explanation - and people are starting to think it's out of this world.

The research facility at Sacramento Peak was evacuated Thursday last week as was a nearby United States Post Office. It's not clear when they will open their doors again.

The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, which operates the Sunspot observatory, said in a statement to the Daily News Wednesday afternoon that it is "addressing a security issue."

Officials decided to "temporarily vacate the facility as a precautionary measure," spokeswoman Shari Lifson said, adding AURA is "working with the proper authorities on this issue."

She declined to provide additional details on the security problems, though the rest of NSO's facilities remain open.

Meanwhile, employees at a post office near Sunspot have been temporarily transferred to another post office in Cloudcroft, KVIA reported.

Otero County Sheriff Benny House said his department has been mostly left in dark on the situation, saying area officers were put on standby during the Observatory evacuation but did not receive any further details.

"The FBI is refusing to tell us what's going on," he told the Alamogordo Daily News.

"There was a black hawk helicopter, a bunch of people running around antennas and work crews on towers but nobody would tell us anything."

House said he, like everyone else in the community, has a lot of questions about what prompted the sudden closure of the NSO facility. He speculated that perhaps someone threatened a staff member at the National Solar Observatory - a theory he almost immediately walked back.

"If that's the case, why did they call us and let us deal with it?" House wondered. "These guys are regular workers that work for this company. I don't know why the FBI would get involved so quick."

People in the area and online did have one inkling: Aliens.

"If you guys are looking for a conspiracy theory check out what's happening at the Sunspot Observatory in New Mexico right now," Twitter-user Kangaroocourtz wrote.

Another tweeted: "I'm not saying it's aliens, but..."

The FBI did not immediately return request for comment.

Via New York Daily News

Comment: RT adds:

The mysterious and sudden closure of the National Solar Observatory in New Mexico is sending alien hunters into a frenzy as the facility remains shut without explanation.

The research institute in Sunspot was evacuated last Thursday along with a nearby United States Postal Service office for unexplained 'security reasons.'

A spokesperson for the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) which manages the observatory said the evacuation was a precautionary measure due to a security issue. "It was our decision to evacuate the facility," spokeswoman Shari Lifson added.

A statement made by the Otero County Sheriff, Benny House, to Alamogordo Daily News in the aftermath of the announcement has contributed to intense speculation around the incident, however. House said that they were asked to standby but given no further information.

"The FBI is refusing to tell us what's going on. We've got people up there (at Sunspot) that requested us to standby while they evacuate it. Nobody would really elaborate on any of the circumstances as to why. The FBI were up there. What their purpose was nobody will say."

The sheriff also claimed there was a Blackhawk helicopter at the site and work crews on towers and around antennas.

The mysterious circumstances of the building's closure has fueled a frenzy of speculation online as social media users wonder if aliens could be behind the 'cloak-and-dagger' operation.

It's unclear when the observatory and the post office will reopen. Postal workers have been temporarily transferred to the post office in Cloudcroft, a USPS official told ABC7.

The FBI has not responded to requests for comment on the matter, according to local media. However according to ABC7, the federal agency told Sheriff House that the evacuation order could remain in place for several days.

Sunspot is located in the Sacramento Mountains in Otero County about 15 miles south of the village Cloudcroft. There is currently a working telescope at the observatory, where New Mexico State University also conducts research.

From the Almagordo Daily News:

Otero County Sheriff Benny House said the Otero County Sheriff's Office was asked to standby.

"The FBI is refusing to tell us what's going on," House said. "We've got people up there (at Sunspot) that requested us to standby while they evacuate it. Nobody would really elaborate on any of the circumstances as to why. The FBI were up there. What their purpose was nobody will say."

He said he has a lot of unanswered question about what occurred at Sunspot.

"But for the FBI to get involved that quick and be so secretive about it, there was a lot of stuff going on up there," House said. "There was a Blackhawk helicopter, a bunch of people around antennas and work crews on towers but nobody would tell us anything."

The Daily News contacted the Albuquerque FBI spokesman seeking comment for this story, but telephone calls and messages were never returned.

House said he pulled his deputies from the facility after there was no identifiable threat.

"They wanted us up there to help evacuate but nobody would tell us anything," he said. "We went up there and everything was good. There was no threat. Nobody would identify any specific threat. We hung out for a little while then we left. No reason for us to be there. Nobody would tell us what we're supposed to be watching out for."

House said he doesn't understand why Sunspot didn't call or notify them of the situation.

"They're not federal employees," he said. "It maybe somebody who threatened one of their workers. If that's the case, why didn't call us and let us deal with it. These guys are regular workers that work for this company. I don't know why the FBI would get involved so quick and not tell us anything."

And finally: Adapt 2030 Ice Age Report: Blackhawk Choppers at Solar Observatory and 75% crop losses Australia