The FBI and the Blackhawk helicopters are gone and the employees of the Sunspot Solar Observatory on Sacramento Peak in New Mexico are slowly coming back after the facility was mysteriously evacuated and closed on September 6th without explanation, causing rumors and conspiracy theories of all sizes and flavors to flourish. A spokesperson for AURA, the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy which runs the 71-year-old solar observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico, finally revealed on September 16th that the investigation was criminal in nature, but gave no details on the crime itself. An observatory in New Mexico that mysteriously closed for an FBI investigation will reopen Monday.The Sunspot Solar Observatory made headlines earlier this month, when authorities evacuated it without explanation.Investigators would only say there was a security threat.It fueled online speculation as to whether researchers had spotted aliens.The association that runs the observatory is now squashing the rumors, saying the FBI was investigating criminal activity nearby and was concerned about a suspect who could have posed a threat to others.
The Sunspot Solar Observatory in New Mexico is set to reopen on Monday after being closed due to "an on-going law enforcement investigation of criminal activity that occurred at Sacramento Peak" in which "a suspect in the investigation potentially posed a threat to the safety of local staff and residents".