What ever became of the solar observatory that was closed?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Ya, I know, and poor shy planet x is still hiding behind the sun..

a reply to: dawnstar

No, it can only be seen from the South Pole, and only exactly at the South Pole.

a reply to: AaarghZombies
That’s because the suspect was determined to not have actually done anything wrong, or at least nothing that rose to criminal level and with child porn, that’s understandably not a high hurdle to get over.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Why only from the South Pole? Astronomers make frequent trips there and even if they didn’t, we don’t have to be physically at the South Pole to survey the sky “above” the SP, or am I mistaken?

a reply to: SlightlyAbovePar

It was sarcasm, because I've heard that claim repeatedly by people that don't understand that if you could see it from the South Pole, then you'd be able to see it from a lot of places. Apparently they think that it's possible to approach the planet in a way that it can only be seen from one very specific place.

Recalling the liquid mercury that was supposedly a fluid bearing in the telescope mechanism. The conjecture was it leaked, or was stolen.

Did any newer info come forward that included the mercury as part of this case?

Many had said it was not related to the mainline reason for the shut down, however I have trouble with coincidence, like many others here.

originally posted by: charlyv
Recalling the liquid mercury that was supposedly a fluid bearing in the telescope mechanism. The conjecture was it leaked, or was stolen.

Did any newer info come forward that included the mercury as part of this case?

Many had said it was not related to the mainline reason for the shut down, however I have trouble with coincidence, like many others here.

Now THAT is mundane. Thanks Charlyv, at least you solved the riddle!

a reply to: Wookiep

It is, but not the mundane that was involved.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Wookiep

It is, but not the mundane that was involved.

Lol, oh snap. I could have swore....

a reply to: Zaphod58

So, it would not be the mundane story, but possibly the real story?
I know we have been through this before, but it still remains an environmental concern if gallons of mercury were to go somewhere it is not supposed to... where? pick a bad place.

a reply to: charlyv

Of course it is, but I don't recall anyone ever confirming that there WAS an actual leak. IIRC someone brought up that there was mercury in the telescope, and everyone latched onto that and took off running.

I have a large mason jar full of mercury. It was used to extract gold a very very very long time ago and I happened to come across it, had to have it. Im like a monkey and love shiny things.. and Ive always loved mercury. If Id have known about the mercury theft Id have made him an offer and probably gotten arrested. Id have mentioned ATS for sure.

He couldve made some folding money by selling it to small scale and hobby gold prospectors in the area.

a reply to: Advantage
a reply to: Zaphod58

the entire 100-metre-long (330 ft) telescope and 40-foot-diameter (12 m) optics lab, 250 tons total, rotates suspended from a mercury float bearing at the top of the tower.

The interior vacuum tube of more than 250 tons is suspended by a bearing that contains 10 tons of mercury.

That is a lot of mercury. If it leaked or was drained, it certainly would have disabled the instrument. Since they shut it down anyway, we will probably never know if it was a cause or related. Agree that there is a lot of conjecture as to the origin of the mercury stories.

Dunn Telescope


Also, not claiming this as a reliable source, but here is one of the mercury theories...

A currently unobtainable quantity of Mercury

I'm going to guess that whilst mercury seems to be a reasonable and non extreme explanation I think it's something to do with what they had seen. Not to mention Zaphod knows something so that makes me think to look the the skies or space for explanation.

Perhaps they had evidence of something in our skies that they shouldn't have seen...

I remember this story very well. It was a regular story that popped up on certain Youtube channels that people around here don't like.
Many conspiracy and wacky theories were talked about. Then it just stopped dead. Poof.

It was certainly a cover up and a bad one at that. The truth is out there somewhere, and someday, it will get out.

originally posted by: rhynouk
I remember this story very well. It was a regular story that popped up on certain Youtube channels that people around here don't like.
Many conspiracy and wacky theories were talked about. Then it just stopped dead. Poof.

It was certainly a cover up and a bad one at that. The truth is out there somewhere, and someday, it will get out.

Like Zaph had pointed out earlier, they realized that they could just shut up, instead of making up cover stories. There is nothing that can force them to reveal anything, so it is just a finger in the face.

a reply to: AaarghZombies

Cause the stars been moving around lmao.

Probably shouldn't talk ab it but someone was using the observatory to hit a satellite with a laser.

a reply to: AaarghZombies

This was on the news here in New Mexico, but no it was not about porn.

One of the employees had a falling out with her boyfriend, which also was a grad student at New Mexico State. He was searching for her so he could murder her. Is was mentioned that the boyfriend hacked one of the computers at NM state and found out her location . He had a few long guns with him in his car or truck. The local sheriff I believe said the guy was camped out some place near by and was waiting to strike at the right time. I assume they were searching for this guy for about week in the area.
Her boyfriend did not know the employees including his girlfriend had been evacuated . I think one of the reporters said the boyfriend had contacted someone in Law Enforcement or FBI making threats of what he was going to do unless he spoke to his girlfriend. I remember the news showing some kind of gate he smashed trying to gain entry.

The boyfriend was arrested and placed under mental observation. Also got kicked out of NM state University for hacking there computer system.
The reporter did mention that
The boyfriend had been looking for her for a while and thought she my have been abducted. Not by aliens, but by someone else. A television station had mentioned that the boyfriend needed medication and had been off it for while. (Mental stability? I assume )

So, to sum this up . He had been stalking this women for some time after they broke up, then lost track of her. He must have got so distant and confused that he forgot to take his medication(s). He then figured he could hack a university computer which also happens to be on the fed network to find her location . ( Federal Crime)
I guess he called the FBI and the local sheriff at some point with threats. Then Threw some guns along with camping gear in his vehicle and set off to the observatory in the wilderness to murder her and anyone else that got in his way. This is why the place looked deserted on the YouTube videos, because it was. The FBI moved everyone out already. it is federal property and makes sense to do so. Oh, he did have a computer with him it had porn on it; but I don't think it was illegal porn. FBI thinks computer used to hack with.

So that's story was from a local paper in Alamogordo or Ruidoso. Some of this story was also from a TV station. Mostly from a local paper. Hope I got it right from what I remembered. I'm not sure if turned himself in or girl friend or family convinced him to.

When I heard this I thought really. All this because of a bad breakup. Lol, then thought wow the ATS conspiracy on this must be pages as well as the YouTube video. I did read some of those pages eventually. I was going to post , but completely forgot about this story until a while ago. [

Men In Black were reported to be at the solar site. Do they call out the MIB and shut down post offices over a bad boyfriend?