Sunspot, New Mexico

Sunspot is an unincorporated community in the Sacramento Mountains in the Lincoln National Forest in Otero County, New Mexico, United States,[1][2] about 18 miles (29 km) south of Cloudcroft. Its elevation is 9,186 feet (2,800 m). The Sunspot Solar Observatory and Apache Point Observatory are located in Sunspot in the Sacramento Mountains.[3] The site of Sunspot is leased by the National Science Foundation (NSF) from the US Forest Service (USFS), and is operated and maintained by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. The telescope and site are both open to the public, and the visitors center offers guided tours of the site on Saturdays and Sundays. On other days there is a self-guided 1/2 mile trail around the telescope and White Sands overlook.

Sunspot, New Mexico
Unincorporated community
Sunspot Visitor's Center and Museum
Sunspot Visitor's Center and Museum
Sunspot, New Mexico is located in New Mexico
Sunspot, New Mexico
Sunspot, New Mexico
Coordinates: 32.791°N 105.818°W / 32.791; -105.818
CountryUnited States
StateNew Mexico
CountyOtero
Elevation
9,186 ft (2,800 m)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
Zip code
88349
Area code575
GNIS feature ID936625[1]

History

It was named after the presence of the National Solar Observatory on Sacramento Peak, in a vote that was allegedly rigged by the observatory's director John Evans.[4] The road leading to Sunspot from Cloudcroft is New Mexico State Road 6563, named for the brightest wavelength of hydrogen emission, H-alpha. This scenic byway features signposts marking the relative locations of the planets from the sun in proportion to their distance to Sunspot.

Temporary closure and conspiracies
Apache Point Observatory, 2010

On September 6, 2018, AURA voluntarily evacuated the site of Sunspot for security reasons.[5] This prompted the formation of multiple conspiracy theories, including presence of aliens, military intelligence operations, impending solar storms, and FBI raids. These all originated from false information provided by the local sheriff.[6]

A local TV station provided a call-in from a supposed employee with a disguised voice,[7] although this was later found to be faked by the reporter. On September 17 AURA re-opened Sunspot, following an investigation into criminal activity involving Apache Point Observatory personnel.[8] Later, court documents reported that the closure was due to threats from the Apache Point Observatory janitor who was subsequently the center of a federal investigation.[9] During the course of the investigation, AURA had decided to evacuate the site and terminated the contract that had been held by the janitor.[10] Apache Point Observatory had not been closed despite the ongoing presence of the suspect at that location during the investigation. The suspect was known by a few others who had been previously removed from Sunspot, or fired.[11] Once the threat was no longer present, Sunspot was reopened by AURA.

Education

It is zoned to Cloudcroft Municipal Schools.[12]

See also

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sunspot
  2. Otero County, New Mexico map
  3. "The National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak". New Mexico Tourism Department. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017.
  4. Honan, William H. (November 6, 1999). "John Evans, 90, Ex-Director Of National Solar Observatory". The New York Times. New York. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  5. "Closure of National Solar Observatory remains shrouded in secrecy". KVIA 7, ABC television affiliate.
  6. ""Dramatic raid" and other false statement". Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  7. "Call-in from fake sunspot employee". Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  8. New Mexico Solar Observatory Re-Opening Monday
  9. "Federal search warrant debunks theories behind Sunspot Observatory closure". KRQE. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  10. "New Mexico solar observatory". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 20, 2018.,
  11. "Sunspot ex-residents discuss old community problems". Wired. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  12. "Home". Cloudcroft Municipal Schools. March 28, 2002. Archived from the original on March 28, 2002. Retrieved June 28, 2022.

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