FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory • Hacker News Board

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#31

Post by dlivingston » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 3:49 PM UTC

I was raised in Alamogordo (a satellite town to HAFB and directly 'down the hill' from Sunspot) and, while I don't have any information other than what other posters have offered, I can tell you that my entire family is farrr too excited that our tiny little hometown is national news for once

Edit: for clarification, HAFB and all of White Sands Missile Range sits on flatlands surrounded by two mountains; the Organ Mountains on the west (close to Las Cruces) and Sunspot Observatory sits on the very edge of the mountain ranges to the east. Spying on HAFB and WSMR from Sunspot is certainly plausible.

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#32

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 3:59 PM UTC

RandomNick wrote: post #27

fergbrain wrote: post #10

Apparently it has “excellent views of Holloman AFB and White Sands Missile Range” ( https://reddit.com/r/SpecialAccess/comments/9f91sm/_/e5uy1fd... ) . Further down, someone says that someone claims that the Chinese were using the antenna array at the observatory to spy on missile tests at WSMR. If the place was truly low on staff then this theory may not be so far fetched.

I'm skeptical of that theory. Sunspot is up in the Lincoln National Forest. There are multiple trails and locations that have a great view of White Sands and Holloman AFB, which are located in the basin below. There isn't anything special about the view from Sunspot that I can recall.

[deleted]

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#33

Post by subcosmos » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 4:01 PM UTC

RandomNick wrote: post #27

fergbrain wrote: post #10

Apparently it has “excellent views of Holloman AFB and White Sands Missile Range” ( https://reddit.com/r/SpecialAccess/comments/9f91sm/_/e5uy1fd... ) . Further down, someone says that someone claims that the Chinese were using the antenna array at the observatory to spy on missile tests at WSMR. If the place was truly low on staff then this theory may not be so far fetched.

I'm skeptical of that theory. Sunspot is up in the Lincoln National Forest. There are multiple trails and locations that have a great view of White Sands and Holloman AFB, which are located in the basin below. There isn't anything special about the view from Sunspot that I can recall.

Other than a big telescope great for looking at things far away?

I used to work in astrophysics. Telescope operators are expected not to look in certain places. Those were fun conversations.

My guess is they found a spy.

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#34

Post by cloakandswagger » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 4:03 PM UTC

tunap wrote: post #20

digitalneal wrote: post #11

Wouldn't surprise me if some meth manufactures found the place to be fairly empty and was operating out of one of the buildings. Only to get caught shipping product somewhere and the FBI backtracked it to the observatory.

Heh, this is the most probable explanation yet, and it is being downed? This is a real problem in the US for anyone that hasn't had a meth lab bust in thier local hood, gated community or national/state/muni park.

This seems like a stupidly conspicuous location to setup a meth lab unless you assume that not a single person visits the facility for months at a time and no one would notice large plumes of smoke rising from it.

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#35

Post by subcosmos » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 4:04 PM UTC

digitalneal wrote: post #11

Wouldn't surprise me if some meth manufactures found the place to be fairly empty and was operating out of one of the buildings. Only to get caught shipping product somewhere and the FBI backtracked it to the observatory.

Or even worse, a math lab - can't ever trust those zany cosmologists ....

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#36

Post by subcosmos » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 4:05 PM UTC

wrs wrote: post #16

colanderman wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently the post office was shut down too [1]. Maybe something dangerous/destructive/sensitive was mailed to/from the observatory? Would explain the feds (since post office is federal) and the seemingly thorough search of the property (crews on towers, etc.). [1] https://www.abqjournal.com/1219922/nm-solar-observatory-clos...

When I look at that article, it’s just a bunch of thick gray lines, as if it’s been completely redacted! Just a bug? Are we being trolled? It’s hilarious, anyway. (Edit: Ah, there’s a survey form that you have to click “skip” on to see the story. Still hilarious.)

Complete our marketing survey and be rewarded with a free FOIA!

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#37

Post by yasp » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 4:09 PM UTC

subcosmos wrote: post #33

RandomNick wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm skeptical of that theory. Sunspot is up in the Lincoln National Forest. There are multiple trails and locations that have a great view of White Sands and Holloman AFB, which are located in the basin below. There isn't anything special about the view from Sunspot that I can recall.

Other than a big telescope great for looking at things far away? I used to work in astrophysics. Telescope operators are expected not to look in certain places. Those were fun conversations. My guess is they found a spy.

What kinds of places were you told not to look? (I'm guessing you couldn't physically point it at targets on the ground, so I assume certain sections of the sky.) Who was it that was commanding you not to look?

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#38

Post by ObsoleteNerd » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 4:11 PM UTC

vorpalhex wrote: post #9

That observatory is near a couple of bases. They likely want to fly some experimental aircraft and minimize the amount of specialized recording equipment in the area.

Why would they shut down the Post Office for that?

Most plausible theory I've seen so far is that the spying one. Maybe they were posting hard-drives or USB sticks from there with footage of the base testing some new equipment or something.

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#39

Post by subcosmos » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 4:14 PM UTC

yasp wrote: post #37

subcosmos wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Other than a big telescope great for looking at things far away? I used to work in astrophysics. Telescope operators are expected not to look in certain places. Those were fun conversations. My guess is they found a spy.

What kinds of places were you told not to look? (I'm guessing you couldn't physically point it at targets on the ground, so I assume certain sections of the sky.) Who was it that was commanding you not to look?

I won't elaborate. A neat book just came out though : Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military https://g.co/kgs/XdRZFu

Re: FBI Mysteriously Closes New Mexico Observatory

#40

Post by AnimalMuppet » Thu, Sep 13, 2018, 4:20 PM UTC

subcosmos wrote: post #33

RandomNick wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm skeptical of that theory. Sunspot is up in the Lincoln National Forest. There are multiple trails and locations that have a great view of White Sands and Holloman AFB, which are located in the basin below. There isn't anything special about the view from Sunspot that I can recall.

Other than a big telescope great for looking at things far away? I used to work in astrophysics. Telescope operators are expected not to look in certain places. Those were fun conversations. My guess is they found a spy.

Wasn't Sunspot a solar observatory? Wouldn't its telescope be set up for light levels that would make viewing anything on the ground rather problematic?