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

a reply to: Bigburgh

I am of the opinion that the whole town is just a front for what goes on at the Observatory.
Sheriff might even be military intelligence like in that one TV show

a reply to: dashen

Eureka!
They're doing a bad job at hiding a secret or normal transition.

You bring in trucks for a move.. not the FBI and a Blackhawk. If it was chemical in nature... noone is reporting staff being checked out at nearby hospitals. And you need tents and a spray down. And it's roped off with caution tape, not danger. 🤔

a reply to: Bigburgh

My other paranoid daydream is that they're just making a whole big stink over there while they're doing stuff at the other Observatory.
The old switcheroo.
Works every time

a reply to: dashen

Could be drawing attention away from White Sands...

a reply to: dashen

Which other observatory? If you're refering to Dunn; it's on the same grounds. Are referring to Apache Point?

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

I went through the comments on that page- everyone's just as mystified as we are- and they live out that way. A couple wags were going on about chinese scientists, but looking for anything brought up a blank on that.

originally posted by: dashen
a reply to: Bigburgh

My other paranoid daydream is that they're just making a whole big stink over there while they're doing stuff at the other Observatory.
The old switcheroo.
Works every time

Good thought since they clearly said the other was not involved.

originally posted by: LordOfDestruction
www.tripadvisor.com...

Management of the site is in transition. Only one telescope was open to the public IF you catch the employee there, which we were fortunate enough to do. Visitor center has some interesting exhibits. 

That is a review from tripadvisor from a week ago. It seems they were already in transition at that point. So the move is not something that happened out of the blue. My bet is they just called it an emergency so they can have everyone on point for the move of some more sensitive equipment. Other than that, the place looks really dated and was due for a move or upgrade anyways.

That would not really fit with this from their web site:

due to unforeseen circumstances, the Sunspot Solar Observatory, including the site, is temporarily closed, until further notice

sunspot.solar...

or, their own statement:

The Sunspot Observatory is temporarily closed due to a security issue at the facility that’s located 17 miles south of Cloudcroft in the Sacramento Mountains Friday, an Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) spokeswoman Shari Lifson said.

Sunspot Observatory closed due to security issue

a reply to: BlueAjah

I probably shouldn't make a joke like this, but

"Put out the nice china. We're having visitors".

a reply to: dashen

You should probably stop projecting what you see on tv into reality.

Also, why would the public be able to take self guided tours around the facilities if it was so...whatever your tv show told you it is?

a reply to: Chadwickus

Reality is stranger than fiction m8.
Just have you a chat with some intel folks.

a reply to: dashen

This isn’t your q thread, so don’t act like it is.

Bring something tangible, not made up stuff you saw on the idiot box.

originally posted by: LookingAtMars
a reply to: LordOfDestruction

Why did they close the post office with no notice?

Why not tell LE?

My guess is that there is some equipment at the post office they needed to remove or examine. And they didn't want a bunch of no-need-to-know employees looking over their shoulders.

Maybe it was a router or server that resides in a rack in the PO that provides Internet services to the observatory,

or snoops local traffic for the NSA.


I think LE was not in the need-to-know loop. They were given some busy work to keep them quiet and occupied.

-dex

originally posted by: Lightdhype
a reply to: putnam6

Ive read that the residencies evacuated belonged to the people who worked at the observatory so... Very strange situation here.

I suppose first guess would be a powdery substance mailed to the observatory or an employee elsewhere. But normally they come right out and say when it is a powdery substance in the mail type threat i thought.

How do we know they moved? (the workers there) Do we know they moved for sure? Do we know they were alive and moved of their own free will?

It seems that the FBI always does this. They do stuff so secretively that the general population (who pays their salary by the way) just has to go nuts trying to guess any little tidbit of what's going on.

a reply to: DexterRiley

Why put a router or server that provides Internet services to the observatory where a bunch of no-need-to-know employees would have access to it?

How close is this place to the compound event with the little pre-school terrorists?

Anyone know?

From google earth photos, the post office:

If this observatory is in fact moving to a new location, perhaps in the course of packing up they encountered a piece of compromised communications equipment or system.

Depending on the importance of the system to national security, a serious response like this may be indicated.

I suppose that a compromised system could span the range from a malware infected computer, to a complete hijacking of unused communications apparatus and then used for surreptitious communication to an adversary, possibly via a satellite.

Anyway, that's my non-woo conspiracy theory. Otherwise I would have to speculate about sub-space telecommunications systems and FTL network connectivity.


-dex

a reply to: Chadwickus

Oh dear sweet chadwick.
I mean people with actual clearances that ive conversed with.
But even so. Youre a rude rude monkey

a reply to: DexterRiley

But then why close the post office if this is the case and it is just some compromised science equipment?