What Happened In Sunspot Stays In Sunspot
What really went down at Sunspot Observatory?
I’m not sayin’ it’s aliens or a giant solar flare or Chinese hackers spying on White Sands Missile Range.
Still, who knows?
What I am saying is the official reason for the shutdown is a cover story. (I’m supposed to add in my opinion so… you got it if it makes you feel better.)
I’ve been following this story because I’ve been to Sunspot Observatory a couple times. We like to hang out in Cloudcroft during the heat of the summer where the temps are cooler due to the 8,668′ elevation. Sunspot is about 17 miles away.
As soon as I read AURA’s Sunday press release I became suspicious. No mention of a black hawk helicopter. No mention of lost phone signal. No mention of people working on antennas. Local police kept in the dark. Hell, everyone kept in the dark.
AURA fed the public a bland pablum. Goes down easy, but will probably give you herpes or something.
So I went to Reddit and shared my skepticism and was met with a welcoming chorus of like-minded folks. Hopefully, a journalist armed with notepad and still and video cams will make the trek to the Sacremento Mountains and interview workers and residents at the site. Surely, someone will spill. Unless they’ve signed some sort of non-disclosure.
If I were able I’d go there myself for a few days… it’s about a two-hour drive from Garfield, NM. But, having only one car, which Stella needs for work, I’ll have to content myself with tweeting and Facebooking people of interest.
Can you come up with a better cover story than the official line? Doesn’t have to be long. Post it in the replies. Might be fun. Maybe I’ll send them to
Shari Lifson
AURA Corporate Communications Coordinator
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
slifson@aura-astronomy.org | +1 (202) 769–5232
www.aura-astronomy.org
UPDATE — I’ve emailed Shari Lifson.
Many of us have issues with yesterday’s Sunspot press release
JEFFREY FIELD<fattymoon@comcast.net>
1:49 PM
Dear Shari,
I was one of the first to express skepticism with the release. I posted my concerns on Reddit.com and am seeing many others walking that same road. Perhaps a second release, or an update, is in order?
Here’s my take…
What really went down at Sunspot Observatory?
Just thought you should know that much of the public is not satisfied with the press release.
Pax,
Jeffrey Field
Need more fun? Let’s do some Weed.
