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The temporary closure of a New Mexico observatory last week has sparked many theories, particularly after reports indicating that federal authorities were involved.
The Sunspot Solar Observatory, located near the Sacramento Mountains, has been closed for an unspecified security issue, the central said in a statement released Sunday on Facebook.
"Sunspot apologizes for continuing the closure of the facilities," the statement said. "The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is addressing a safety issue at the installation of the National Solar Observatory in Sacramento Peak, New Mexico, and has decided to temporarily vacate the installation by precautionary measure.
"AURA, which manages Sacramento Peak with funding from the NSF (National Science Foundation), is working with the relevant authorities on this issue. We have no other comments for the moment.
Last week, Otero County sheriff Benny House told the Alamogordo Daily News that the sheriff's office had asked the FBI to get involved.
"The FBI refuses to tell us what's going on," House told the newspaper. "We have people there (at Sunspot) who have asked us to stay on hold while they are evacuated. Nobody would really explain why. The FBI was up there. What was their purpose, no one will say. "
House said there were many unanswered questions about the closure of Sunspot.
"But for the FBI to intervene so quickly and be so discreet about it, there were a lot of things going on there," House told the paper. "There was a Blackhawk helicopter, a group of people around the antennas and work crews on the towers, but no one told us anything.
It was unclear when the observatory was going to reopen and workers decided to evacuate the facility as a "precautionary measure," AURA spokeswoman Shari Lifson told Alamogordo daily. Lifson could not say if the FBI was involved.
Frank Fisher, an FBI spokesman, could not confirm or deny the agency's involvement, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
The mysterious nature of the closure has sparked all sorts of speculation on the Internet.
"When the aliens invade, we have nowhere to go; the truth will be our destiny, "wrote Gene Alexander on the observatory's Facebook page, according to the Kansas City Star.
"There was a Blackhawk helicopter, a group of people around antennas and work crews on the towers, but nobody would tell us anything."
"Maybe a celestial body that we have not met for thousands of years is finally back in our solar system," said John Pleites-Sandoval.
Whatever happens at the observatory, an employee told the Albuquerque newspaper that he was not yet worried because he did not have enough information.
"That's what happens when you do something and you do not tell anyone why," said the employee.
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