Officials explain why they closed the Sunspot Solar Observatory (and it was not extraterrestrials)

After struggling for days against rumors of visiting foreigners, officials at the Sunspot Solar Observatory in New Mexico say they are reopening the plant – and have shed light on the reason for its 10-day shutdown.

The 71-year-old Sacramento Peak observatory, at an elevation of 9,200 feet, is the US National Center for Soil Physics. It is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, or AURA, as part of an agreement with the National Science Foundation.

It is also close to Holloman Air Force Base and the White Sands Missile Range. It was only a reason for the tongues to be agitated when AURA and NSF decided on September 6 to evacuate the surrounding facilities and houses due to a security problem.

The FBI was called to investigate, but local police officials complained that they did not know what was happening. "I have ideas, but I do not want to broadcast them," the Washington Post said, citing Sheriff Bennett House of Otero County. "It's bad press or rumors that start, and it will cause paranoia, or I could satisfy everyone's mind and I could be totally out of the grassroots."

A mystery in New Mexico naturally makes some people think of aliens, in part because of the fame (or infamy) surrounding the 1947 Roswell UFO incident. In this case, the first headlines about a flying saucer crash in the desert near Roswell triggered decades of speculation that was never completely stifled by official explanations, which began with a crash test and nuclear monitoring experiments. tests.

Similarly, AURA's explanation of this month's evacuation, published today, is limited to strictly terrestrial matters:

"AURA is cooperating with an ongoing law enforcement investigation into criminal activities in Sacramento Peak. During this time, we were concerned that a suspect participating in the investigation posed a potential threat to the safety of local staff and residents. For this reason, AURA temporarily left the establishment and ceased its scientific activities there.

"The decision to leave was based on the logistical challenges of protecting personnel in such a remote location and the need to respond quickly to the potential threat. AURA determined that moving the small number of on-site employees and residents off the mountain was the most cautious and effective action to ensure their safety.

"In light of recent developments in the investigation, we determined that there was no risk to staff and that the Sunspot Solar Observatory is resuming its usual activities on September 17. Given the significant amount of advertising that the temporary closure has generated and the expectation of an unusual number of visitors to the site, we are temporarily engaging a security service while the facility returns to a normal work environment.

AURA officials said they acknowledged that the lack of information during the evacuation "was worrying and frustrating for some".

"However, our desire to provide additional information had to be weighed against the risk that, if released at that time, the news would alert the suspect and impede the police investigation," AURA said. "It was a risk we could not take."

The observatory team, made up of about nine employees, is expected to be back at work this week. It does not take long for local residents to return home, researchers return to Dunn's solar telescope and tourists return to the Sunspot visitor center. But a complete resolution of the mystery will have to wait until criminal charges are laid, assuming that the investigation is bearing fruit.

And if the mystery persists without criminal charges, without further revelations, do not be surprised if agents Mulder and Scully tackle the Sunspot incident in a future "X-Files" episode.

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