Free Astronomy Magazine November-December 2018

29 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2018 OBSERVATORIES that requested us to standby while they evacuate it. Nobody would really elabo- rate on any of the circumstances as to why. The FBI were up there. What their purpose was no- body will say... But for the FBI to get in- volved that quick and be so secretive about it, there was a lot of stuff going on up there.” [...] It’s important to note that AURA has consistently described the situation was a “security issue” rather than a “risk” or a “threat,” which strongly suggests the reason for the evacuations was not tied to something such as a bomb threat. Had there been a danger of some sort chemical or biological hazard, the re- sponding officials would have been wear- ing suitable protective gear. […] But given AURA’s statements and what else we know about the situation, there is T he presence of White Sands and Hollo- man military bases was the el- ement that more than others con- tributed to turn- ing the evacua- tion of Sunspot into a spy story. Electronic devices conveniently placed between the antennas of the observatory could have cap- tured messages coming out of the bases. a distinct possibility that “security issue” is actually related to espionage or a similar operational security concern. The National Solar Observatory’s site is very low security — as in not really any at all — yet sits in a highly strategic location overlooking one of America’s preeminent weapons test com- plexes, White Sands Missile Range, and Hol- loman AFB. Sunspot Solar Observatory has multiple places where sensors, such as an- tenna aerials, could potentially be planted