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FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory (popularmechanics.com)
Alien conspiracy theories are swirling after an observatory in New Mexico has been unexpectedly closed due to an unnamed "security issue," prompting evacuations and a visit from the FBI. "The Sunspot Observatory is now currently closed to both staff and the public, with no word on why or when it will be open again," reports Popular Mechanics. From the report: "We have decided to vacate the facility at this time as precautionary measure," said spokesperson Shari Lifson to the Alomogordo Daily News. "The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy who manages the facility is addressing a security issue at this time." Lifson said that the facility was first evacuated on September 6 and has remained closed since then. According to Lifson, the observatory has no date for reopening yet.
As part of the investigation into the security issue, the observatory has contacted the FBI, which has been reported on the scene with multiple agents and a Blackhawk helicopter. According to local sheriff Benny House, the agency has been working with local law enforcement but refuses to share any details. The sheriff speculated that the evacuation could be due to some kind of threat made against the facility or its staff, but expressed confusion as to why local police would be left out of the loop. "If that's the case, why didn't they call us and let us deal with it?" he said. "I don't know why the FBI would get involved so quick and not tell us anything."
UPDATE (9/22/18): A warrant application filed in the case suggests the closure involved an FBI investigation into child pornography.
As part of the investigation into the security issue, the observatory has contacted the FBI, which has been reported on the scene with multiple agents and a Blackhawk helicopter. According to local sheriff Benny House, the agency has been working with local law enforcement but refuses to share any details. The sheriff speculated that the evacuation could be due to some kind of threat made against the facility or its staff, but expressed confusion as to why local police would be left out of the loop. "If that's the case, why didn't they call us and let us deal with it?" he said. "I don't know why the FBI would get involved so quick and not tell us anything."
UPDATE (9/22/18): A warrant application filed in the case suggests the closure involved an FBI investigation into child pornography.
Or it's because the observatory lies on federal land, a national forest.
The FBI does this quite often, according to a former FBI agent friend of mine. A national forest will have a police force from the US Forest Service but if it's more than they can handle for some reason then they call in for help from the FBI. On some federal properties the FBI is the primary law enforcement. As this observatory, and the land it sits on, is managed by multiple federal government agencies I'm guessing that there are FBI agents there regularly.
I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
The function of the observatory has nothing to do with it, but it does have a large tower that overlooks the White Sands missile range and a couple of airbases used for testing new aviation tech. Besides the benefit of greater altitude and a clear line of sight, the tower also potentially offers a much better place to try and stash some electronic surveillance equipment in the hope that might get overlooked amidst all the legit gear mounted on it compared to trying to figure out a way to locate it in any of the other surrounding viewpoints that also overlook the area.
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
When a train car full of chemicals spills does the FBI show up? No the DEP and EPA handle that. The FBI isn't trained to contain mercury spills and a facility that uses mercury should be able to handle it anyhow.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
And my wife works at Apache Point Observatory, a mile away, and thus far unaffected. I've done lots of photography at both sites and been all over the place, inside and out of both telescopes.
At first I thought it was a manhunt, but they wouldn't exclude local law enforcement, and they wouldn't stay in one area for so long. Then for giggles I watched parts of some of the conspiracy videos on YouTube, and I ran in to a comment that had some resonance. The poster said that he saw a comment on another conspiracy vid (therefore it must be true) that a Chinese spy had been caught with 8 computers spying on Holloman Air Force Base. First off, HAFB is a training base flying F-16s and MQ-9 UAVs, the former have been around for decades and the latter aren't that interesting. Not much secret going on there. Now, perhaps the spy was spying on White Sands Missile Range? He would have done better positioning himself in the Organ Mountains on the other side of the basin, except that's pretty rocky, it would've been much more comfortable hiding in the forest over here. Who knows.
Some of the other conspiracy theories were amusing. The sun went out! (we'd know it 8 minutes later, and we know how our sun will die). Something dark passed in front of the sun! (several observatories around the world watch the sun all the time and no one else reported anything - and they would have reported it). They found Planet X! (no one else reported it - see previous).
If we ever get actual information as to what went on, it might be interesting. Or it might not be.
When you sympathize with stupidity, you start thinking like an idiot.