National Solar Observatory, USPS office in Sunspot, NM evacuated for 'safety reasons'

a reply to: BigDave-AR

Of course it would be a terrible thing, but the chances of survival for everyone does go up in that type of scenario.

a reply to: wylekat

This is a real conspiracy thats for sure, the lid is sealed tight and no matter what the outcome, there will always be questions I think.

a reply to: Fiscal

So... why no EPA suits, either environmental or 3 piece? Just FBI, and a military helicopter? An evacuation and a simple closure would leave someone somewhere with a story to tell *someone*. So far, hearing from the residents themselves has been paper thin, and like I said one post up, not even so much as gossip- which you'd think would be flowing like a tidal wave at this point. Even if it was "so and so did this and that, and now so and so is in it deep with the feds, and.."

I'm reading the highlights- and I'm still unable to fathom the FBI, evacuations, the hush hush nature, the copter, or anything else that has left everyone (including us) in the dark. What I see is the EPA or some other ABC bunch coming in to hike everyone out, and then construction equipment, trucks, and assorted coming in to start work on dismantling things, restructuring things, etc. This would be a non event, past the observatory having to close and there being a course of action taken in this ridiculously dense thing.

The paper looks cut and dried as to what would be done. The FBI, whose mission/ priorities statement is this:

Protect the United States from terrorist attack
Protect the United States against foreign intelligence operations and espionage
Protect the United States against cyber-based attacks and high-technology crimes
Combat public corruption at all levels

Protect civil rights
Combat transnational/national criminal organizations and enterprises
Combat major white-collar crime
Combat significant violent crime

Doesn't seem to be the 'eviction and making people a hike' bunch.

a reply to: threeeyesopen

Anyone else notice it's now Rod Sturgeon and not Spurgeon like originally stated ? Was that simply a typo in the original story as it was breaking ?
Freudian slip, or Mandela effect?

The ME part is a joke, but ya gotta wonder about the first part. Could someone be having to do damage control, spin and plug holes in a desperate race?

Hell- Anyone know how to get ahold of the author?

originally posted by: threeeyesopen
a reply to: Realtruth

What do you think of this.

We are updating the code infrastructure that provides access to SOHO data, images and movies. We expect the work to take several weeks. In the meantime, you can access the SOHO Archive Catalog here and current solar data images here."

sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov...

That's been that way for quite a while now. Spaceweather.com still offers current access to those satellites. And (unless they're tampering the images) nothing too major has happened. 2 large coronal holes facing us at the moment. We had a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm as of yesterday, possibly upgrading to G2 today. Possible Aurora's in northern USA tonight! That's pretty cool

I was just about 1/2 way up the ridge but a few miles to the N of sunspot, still in Alamogordo. Working outside all day and while I haven't seen anything weird up there, I've noticed much less air traffic from the base than usual. This could simply be scheduling on their part and mean nothing relative to the evacuation though. Usually we've got 2 or 3 f-18s circling the Tularosa basin at all times. The Germans are leaving the base so they've been burning all their fuel stores before they go and I heard there was a new f-16 squadron coming in that's been airborne alot. Today I've only heard 2 passes by a single fighter and it's higher than they usually fly at.
Figures, my pilot buddy from the base was transferred to FL last year or I'd have a contact there only other guy I know out there that would be useful is on the comm squad but he's currently in N Korea.

I heard about this on Sunday but only heard they were closed. Wish I knew how crazy it was then, id've taken the dogs hiking up on west side Rd. That'd get you fairly close w out using the Rd to sunspot. Not that I'd learn anything from that far beneath the area, but I sure am curious!

a reply to: doobydoll

I don't think those are planets. Not at the same exact size- and well- there's only ONE planet that could fit the size requirement, that'd be Venus. Mercury is so close, it'd be a tiny blob.

Another thing to ponder as well... if those are planets- where's the atmosphere that would catch the light of the sun and diffuse it? Venus again would be a blur, not a solid black disk.

*ponders a second* Why are there 2 in focus black disks, and nothing is out of focus at all? ????

originally posted by: 321cya

originally posted by: threeeyesopen
a reply to: Realtruth

What do you think of this.

We are updating the code infrastructure that provides access to SOHO data, images and movies. We expect the work to take several weeks. In the meantime, you can access the SOHO Archive Catalog here and current solar data images here."

sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov...

That's been that way for quite a while now. Spaceweather.com still offers current access to those satellites. And (unless they're tampering the images) nothing too major has happened. 2 large coronal holes facing us at the moment. We had a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm as of yesterday, possibly upgrading to G2 today. Possible Aurora's in northern USA tonight! That's pretty cool

I was just about 1/2 way up the ridge but a few miles to the N of sunspot, still in Alamogordo. Working outside all day and while I haven't seen anything weird up there, I've noticed much less air traffic from the base than usual. This could simply be scheduling on their part and mean nothing relative to the evacuation though. Usually we've got 2 or 3 f-18s circling the Tularosa basin at all times. The Germans are leaving the base so they've been burning all their fuel stores before they go and I heard there was a new f-16 squadron coming in that's been airborne alot. Today I've only heard 2 passes by a single fighter and it's higher than they usually fly at.
Figures, my pilot buddy from the base was transferred to FL last year or I'd have a contact there

only other guy I know out there that would be useful is on the comm squad but he's currently in N Korea.

I heard about this on Sunday but only heard they were closed. Wish I knew how crazy it was then, id've taken the dogs hiking up on west side Rd. That'd get you fairly close w out using the Rd to sunspot. Not that I'd learn anything from that far beneath the area, but I sure am curious!

Off topic but I’m sure you mean South Korea right?

a reply to: wylekat

Yeah, not saying the EPA angle is ‘the’ angle. But from a mundane point of view, if it was a dispute between federal angencies (in this case NSO / EPA), it may not have necessitated hazmat. I was able to locate some other references to the FBI enforcing EPA regulations / actions in other scenarios.

So, imagine this scenario, let’s say there’s some sort of contaminant (low grade) or some other environmental impact / exposure with a small town and some modest amount of tourism, it is possible that they would want to shutter quietly to avoid litigation, etc.

Although, as BigDave (I think) pointed out, the EPA report had three possible options, of which one was ‘do nothing’. At the same time, you have an amended grant and the observatory changing hands with the EPA report fitting in the same general timeline. I just think these things are far too coincidental in terms of timing to be dismissed easily.

a reply to: wylekat

Seems to be a slip. If you want to get hold of him, his Twitter handle is @RodSpurgeon. Publicly available info there points (indirectly) to him being the same spokesperson mentioned in the KVIA article.

originally posted by: Fiscal
a reply to: wylekat

Yeah, not saying the EPA angle is ‘the’ angle. But from a mundane point of view, if it was a dispute between federal angencies (in this case NSO / EPA), it may not have necessitated hazmat. I was able to locate some other references to the FBI enforcing EPA regulations / actions in other scenarios.

So, imagine this scenario, let’s say there’s some sort of contaminant (low grade) or some other environmental impact / exposure with a small town and some modest amount of tourism, it is possible that they would want to shutter quietly to avoid litigation, etc.

Although, as BigDave (I think) pointed out, the EPA report had three possible options, of which one was ‘do nothing’. At the same time, you have an amended grant and the observatory changing hands with the EPA report fitting in the same general timeline. I just think these things are far too coincidental in terms of timing to be dismissed easily.

I still don’t think the FBI would come in unless whatever might have the EPA involved was caused by serious criminal misconduct, even then I don’t see the helo and all the mess with keeping the locals in the dark and closing the post office, doesn’t add up to me. And yes I was the one that posted about doing nothing being a viable option in said EPA report.

a reply to: wylekat

In some articles he is still regarded as spurgeon, however in the more updated articles he is referred to as sturgeon. Maybe they wanted to clarify his correct name or maybe they are trying to distance this from the fact that spurgeon is a sci-fi writer.

a reply to: Fiscal

Thank you, you've got some good info posted on here as do many others. It's amazing what we can accomplish sometimes. I just want to know what's going on, wether or not it's something small the secrecy is intense.

a reply to: BigDave-AR

I tend to agree that the connection is loose at best. I think with such limited available information, I’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time trying to make all the various pieces fit into some semblance of a cohesive through line. And then digging for more pieces as it continues to be a mystery.

Thanks for your input, for sure.

a reply to: BigDave-AR

Indeed, S, but close DMZ.
Our wives are good friends too and I'm trying to get the phone number to one of his friends in the same squad. He's come the house for drinking and plinking so we know each other fairly well but he's pretty young and new to the squad so I'm not expecting anything ground breaking from him. But worth a shot!

Just my 2 cents...You don't suddenly evacuate a town, with FBI agents and a tactical Blackhawk helicopter, if this was due to the expansion of Holloman AFB, which is @20 miles west of Sunspot, NM. It can't be due to an upcoming catastrophic sun flare, because other observatories, including amateur astronomers around the world, would be putting that warning up on the internet by now. It can't be an environmental hazard, because no one saw emergency response contractors from the EPA or anyone, for that matter, wearing hazmat suits. If it was the response due to a terrorist threat, why turn away law enforcement, including the involvement of State Troopers and ICE agents? This event, IMO, is a case involving National Security and the recovery of classified materials. What on? Who knows, but the cause for this evacuation will eventually be covered up with a bogus explanation from federal authorities.

originally posted by: 321cya
a reply to: BigDave-AR

Indeed, S, but close DMZ.
Our wives are good friends too and I'm trying to get the phone number to one of his friends in the same squad. He's come the house for drinking and plinking so we know each other fairly well but he's pretty young and new to the squad so I'm not expecting anything ground breaking from him. But worth a shot!

I was about to say I’m not sure he’d appreciate that breach of opsec

Agreed Shawman

a reply to: shawmanfromny

This is from a YouTube comment I found, this person claims to work for AURA in Arizona.

"We have been reaching out to our colleagues in sunspot, NM to try and find out what's going on...we've got nothing from them, they have no idea what's going on. They said FBI agents, technicians, and a blackhawk helicopter just showed up in the morning unannounced and ushered everyone off the property immediately with no notice or time for them to gather any of their work etc. They're all pretty freaked out for sure"

There you have it folks, that does confirm some things, again the helicopter. This lends credence to the reports from others making the reports more believable. That is if this person is legit. I've omitted their name however I did ask them to contact me with more info if possible.

It took a while to find this comment, let's just say it's not top comment.

ETA I bolded morning myself, I felt that was some new and important info.

Would it be possible to get some drone footage in the area? Maybe someone that lives around there could get us some aerial footage of what's going on.

originally posted by: threeeyesopen
a reply to: shawmanfromny

This is from a YouTube comment I found, this person claims to work for AURA in Arizona.

"We have been reaching out to our colleagues in sunspot, NM to try and find out what's going on...we've got nothing from them, they have no idea what's going on. They said FBI agents, technicians, and a blackhawk helicopter just showed up in the morning unannounced and ushered everyone off the property immediately with no notice or time for them to gather any of their work etc. They're all pretty freaked out for sure"

There you have it folks, that does confirm some things, again the helicopter. This lends credence to the reports from others making the reports more believable. That is if this person is legit. I've omitted their name however I did ask them to contact me with more info if possible.

It took a while to find this comment, let's just say it's not top comment.

Very interesting! Good find.