Sunspot Observatory closed due to security issue

[angelburst29]

An odd report?

Sept. 7, 2018 - Sunspot Observatory closed due to security issue
Sunspot Observatory south of Cloudcroft closed due to a security issue

SUNSPOT, NM – The Sunspot Observatory is temporarily closed due to a security issue at the facility that’s located 17 miles south of Cloudcroft in the Sacramento Mountains Friday, an Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) spokeswoman Shari Lifson said.

“The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy who manages the facility is addressing a security issue at this time,” Lifson said. “We have decided to vacate the facility at this time as precautionary measure. It was our decision to evacuate the facility.”

She said she cannot comment on the specifics of the security issue.

The facility is the National Solar Observatory facility at Sacramento Peak that’s managed by AURA.

Apache Point Observatory (APO) is currently in operation. APO was not evacuated. APO is about a mile away from Sunspot observatory.

She said AURA does not have a comment about the type of security issue at this time.

“I am actually not sure (when the facility was vacated) but it will stay vacated until further notice,” Lifson said. “It’s the people that vacated. At this time, it’s the facility that’s closed.”

Sunspot Observatory entrance was blocked with a stop sign and yellow crime scene tap Friday morning. The facility is temporarily closed until further notice. (Photo: Dylan Taylor-Lehman/Daily News)

She said the facility is closed to the public and Sunspot employees.

“We don’t know that yet (when the facility will open again),” Lifson said. “We are working with the proper authorities on this issues. The local authorities do know and are aware of the situation. I don’t know when the facility was vacated but it was within the last day. It’s a temporary evacuation of the facility. We open it up as soon as possible.”

She said she cannot comment on whether the FBI was involved in the situation.

Otero County Sheriff Benny House said the Otero County Sheriff’s Office was asked to standby.

“The FBI is refusing to tell us what’s going on,” House said. “We’ve got people up there (at Sunspot) that requested us to standby while they evacuate it. Nobody would really elaborate on any of the circumstances as to why. The FBI were up there. What their purpose was nobody will say.”

He said he has a lot of unanswered question about what occurred at Sunspot.

“But for the FBI to get involved that quick and be so secretive about it, there was a lot of stuff going on up there,” House said. “There was a Blackhawk helicopter, a bunch of people around antennas and work crews on towers but nobody would tell us anything.”

The Daily News contacted the Albuquerque FBI spokesman seeking comment for this story, but telephone calls and messages were never returned.

House said he pulled his deputies from the facility after there was no identifiable threat.

“They wanted us up there to help evacuate but nobody would tell us anything,” he said. “We went up there and everything was good. There was no threat. Nobody would identify any specific threat. We hung out for a little while then we left. No reason for us to be there. Nobody would tell us what we’re supposed to be watching out for.”

House said he doesn’t understand why Sunspot didn’t call or notify them of the situation.

“They’re not federal employees,” he said. “It maybe somebody who threatened one of their workers. If that’s the case, why didn’t call us and let us deal with it. These guys are regular workers that work for this company. I don’t know why the FBI would get involved so quick and not tell us anything.”

 

[stellar]

Yeah, saw that a couple of days ago. My initial guess was that some employee saw/recorded something and tried to pass it on but ended up 'suiciding' so the spooks had to come 'clean up'. Only when the deep state is threatened is there such a swift action; not so much for the public.

 

[Christine]

These are guys investigating this case. The discussions are interesting.

National Solar Observatory, USPS office in Sunspot, NM evacuated for 'safety reasons', page 28

 

[angelburst29]

These are guys investigating this case. The discussions are interesting.
National Solar Observatory, USPS office in Sunspot, NM evacuated for 'safety reasons', page 28

Great link - Christine! Thanks. These remarks on pg. 26 seem to be the main focus - although there's some interesting tid-bits through out the thread. Also, see the video at the end - with a local news clip in it.

National Solar Observatory, USPS office in Sunspot, NM evacuated for 'safety reasons', page 26 From shawmanfromny

posted on Sep, 11 2018 @ 01:58 PM
link
Just my 2 cents... You don't suddenly evacuate a town, with FBI agents and a tactical Blackhawk helicopter, if this was due to the expansion of Holloman AFB, which is @20 miles west of Sunspot, NM. It can't be due to an upcoming catastrophic sun flare, because other observatories, including amateur astronomers around the world, would be putting that warning up on the internet by now. It can't be an environmental hazard, because no one saw emergency response contractors from the EPA or anyone, for that matter, wearing hazmat suits. If it was the response due to a terrorist threat, why turn away law enforcement, including the involvement of State Troopers and ICE agents? This event, IMO, is a case involving National Security and the recovery of classified materials. What on? Who knows, but the cause for this evacuation will eventually be covered up with a bogus explanation from federal authorities.

~~~
From threeeyesopen

posted on Sep, 11 2018 @ 02:10 PM
link
a reply to: shawmanfromny

This is from a YouTube comment I found, this person claims to work for AURA in Arizona.

"We have been reaching out to our colleagues in sunspot, NM to try and find out what's going on...we've got nothing from them, they have no idea what's going on. They said FBI agents, technicians, and a blackhawk helicopter just showed up in the morning unannounced and ushered everyone off the property immediately with no notice or time for them to gather any of their work etc. They're all pretty freaked out for sure"

There you have it folks, that does confirm some things, again the helicopter. This lends credence to the reports from others making the reports more believable. That is if this person is legit. I've omitted their name however I did ask them to contact me with more info if possible.

It took a while to find this comment, let's just say it's not top comment.
~~~
pg. 27 - From 321cya

posted on Sep, 11 2018 @ 03:07 PM
link

Update from my first post:
I asked my boss to call the director of sunspot, but he's basically laughing my concern off because he saw the guy on the golf course in Alamo Fri morning. Only spoke to him briefly but he seemed fine.
So, if it was someone leaking secrets, it wasn't the head honcho. He was fine and dandy as of Fri morning.

~~~
From Fiscal

posted on Sep, 11 2018 @ 03:11 PM
link
a reply to: 321cya

That just strikes me as odd. Your facility is shut down, people’s livelihoods are likely affected, the FBI are hanging around, the Post Office is closed, people are goofing with your antennas, it’s cited as a safety / security shutdown. And then we’re golfing and things are peachy. I know people deal with stress / changes differently, but it still just seems off given what all we’ve heard.

~~~
from shawmanfromny

posted on Sep, 11 2018 @ 05:41 PM
link
Never thought of this scenario. From a forum on www.ar15.com.

You know this is all going down on a very significant date for Muslim terrorists.

It's possible they found something regarding a planned dirty bomb or other agent in the area, with a sympathizer working in the lab. Could be that the area, or the lab was the gathering point for the launch of the attack, and that the attack was to take place against the air base.

The feds got wind of it.

It makes sense to why they were evacuating everybody and everything, and shutting down the observatory.

It makes sense that the feds are putting up antenna with instruments that can detect those things, and also possible communications signals between members of a terrorist cell that are using something like hand radios instead of cell phones. That would also make sense as to the electronic warfare aircraft in the sky, as they can cover more area.

Also would make sense to have as many aircraft on "exercise" from the base as possible, if they think this thing can do enough damage to the air base, I would suppose due to contamination.

It also makes sense for the feds to be hush hush about it.

If there are holes in my theory, I'm sure one of you guys can point them out. I'm just guessing here, but a serious guess this time.​

www.ar15.com...

Also found this information on the forum. Has anyone on this thread mentioned about SOHO being shut down for the next 2 to 3 weeks?

Uh oh. The link on the SOHO page for where you can get current solar images goes here umbra.nascom.nasa.gov... which says: "Note: SOLIS images SOLIS instrumentation is being moved and we do not expect current images again before early September." Strange times indeed​

www.ar15.com...

LINK TO SOHO:
sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov...

~~~
pg. 30 - From ToasterBorst

posted on Sep, 11 2018 @ 07:05 PM
link
Local recently commented on the observatory facebook page's most recent post (not the pinned post):
[URL='https://www.facebook.com/SunspotSolarObs/']www.facebook.com...

From there I was led to a post he had just publicly shared on his own page:

Can’t stand the conspiracy theories being circulated on the internet right now about Sunspot. As a 15-year former resident of the observatory, I offer to you the following FACTS: 1) Although the observatory runs under the auspices of AURA (the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy), operations of the National Solar Observatory have long since CEASED on the telescope. Any current research operations are being funded and utilized by New Mexico State University. There is only minimal NSO staff employed working at the site now and their full time focus is in continuing shut down operations in Sunspot. 2) There are minimal residents of Sunspot anymore. For that matter there only remains one NSO maintenance employee and his family plus a handful of support staff from NMSU living in housing. Most housing was vacated by former NSO employees (myself included) more than a year ago (and in some cases 2-3 years ago). 3) Radio astronomy has never been a “focus” of research conducted in Sunspot. Current data from the Dunn Solar Tower (if any) belongs to NMSU. 4) AURA operates under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, a federal agency. Therefore any kind of “investigation” or threat would be considered Federal, thus the FBI. 5) Although there is a moderate “G2” geomagnetic storm being reported at present (see: www.spaceweather.com). This is NOT necessarily an anomaly. These storms happen. Which is also why solar astronomers study the Sun. 6) Solar science has successfully been conducted in Sunspot since 1949. There has not been a full-time resident NSO solar scientist at the observatory since early 2017. 7) The phones are not being answered in Sunspot because the site is VACATED. (No conspiracy theory there.) 8) Any Mercury “spill” would fall under the auspices of OSHA. Mercury used in the Dunn Solar Tower is housed in a sealed turret at the top of the telescope and is monitored. 9) You Tube, the Internet and other non-fact based hypotheses are not based on scientific thought. Check your sources people! 10) Rumors of “aliens,” “alien contact,” etc. are nothing but nonsense. Hell, we even circulated a few of these funnies just for the laugh. 11) Official information should be released from AURA directly. 12) Finally, I want to add that there are many former residents and employees of the National Solar Observatory that are just as “in the dark” as the regular public. Making up disparaging comments about the science, the mission, and the community of Sunspot is not only repulsive but ignorant. We were once a proud little community with the best solar scientists in the world. The contributions of Sunspot and the National Solar Observatory at Sacramento Peak will continue to influence solar science for DECADES. As the former President of the Sunspot Community, I will always be a PROUD Sunspotter and like others would like to know the cause of such a closure. But I’m not willing to sit by and allow pseudoscience, and rumors tear down a legacy of scientific research. Please stop circulating non-verified FACT.​

New around here and don't want to potentially dox or something, apologies if my breadcrumbs are too vague.

~~~
From SeaWorthy

posted on Sep, 11 2018 @ 07:50 PM
link

originally posted by: wylekat
a reply to: 898929

www.youtube.com...

It has the news segment in question in there.​

[/URL]

While it's the usual conspiracy fodder, it does have the news on it. which I found interesting.​

Thanks

Published on Sep 11, 2018 (12:21)

 

[angelburst29]

The video above was put out by secureteam10 and he posted one on Sept. 6th which is also interesting but not related to the Observatory closure.

Something's VERY WRONG On The Space Station

Published on Sep 6, 2018 (17:53 min.)

 

[angelburst29]

The Sunspot Observatory in New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains has been closed since Thursday under a shroud of mystery after the FBI evacuated it for reasons they would not explain to local authorities.

12.09.2018 - 'Nobody Would Tell Us Anything': US Solar Observatory Mysteriously Closed by FBI
‘Nobody Would Tell Us Anything’: US Solar Observatory Mysteriously Closed by FBI

The puzzling closure of the observatory and the post office nearby has conspiracy theorists going wild with accounts of what happened. Vague statements from authorities have only thrown fuel on the fire.

The observatory allows the public to tour it and use the telescope. It even has a visitors' center — which is now "closed until further notice."


Joe Greenwell @eramthgin
https://twitter.com/eramthgin/status/1039921604669657091
@greggutfeld why has the national solar observatory in Sunspot NM been very quietly evacuated? What does the government know that they don’t want us to know? Check it out.
1:00 PM - Sep 12, 2018

The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) manages the observatory. "We have decided to vacate the facility at this time as precautionary measure. It was our decision to evacuate the facility," spokeswoman Shari Lifson said, refusing to be more specific about the "security issue." Oddly, she also that that she wasn't even sure when the facility was vacated but added that "it will stay vacated until further notice."

"The local authorities do know and are aware of the situation," she said. The local sheriff, however, describes a bizarre situation.

Otero County Sheriff Benny House says he has been left in the dark about the closure. "The FBI is refusing to tell us what's going on," he said, adding that the bureau told his department to stand by while they evacuated the building. "Nobody would really elaborate on any of the circumstances as to why. The FBI were up there. What their purpose was, nobody will say."


Mike Lewinski @ikewinski
https://twitter.com/ikewinski/status/1038783076363468800
wtf? The mind runs wild with possibilities. I expect they've opened a portal to another world, and are bringing in the tactical nukes to try and close it up .https://www.kvia.com/news/new-mexico/national-solar-observatory-usps-office-in-sunspot-nm-evacuated-for-safety-reasons-/792020771 …
9:35 AM - Sep 9, 2018 · Taos, NM

National Solar Observatory, USPS office in Sunspot, NM evacuated for 'safety reasons'
The National Solar Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico, and a nearby United States Postal Service office, were evacuated for security reasons Thursday, officials said on social media accounts.
kvia.com

"But for the FBI to get involved that quick and be so secretive about it, there was a lot of stuff going on up there," he added. "There was a Blackhawk helicopter, a bunch of people around antennas and work crews on towers, but nobody would tell us anything."

Lifson wouldn't comment about FBI involvement, and the FBI has not returned any calls from reporters.

[URL='https://twitter.com/samleecole'] [/URL]
[URL='https://twitter.com/samleecole']Samantha Cole ✔ @samleecole
https://twitter.com/samleecole/status/1039875695747448832
"I don’t know why the FBI would get involved so quick and not tell us anything.”
something weird is going at the National Solar Observatory http://bit.ly/2p84W9f
9:57 AM - Sep 12, 2018

They wanted us up there to help evacuate, but nobody would tell us anything," Sheriff House said. "We went up there, and everything was good. There was no threat. Nobody would identify any specific threat. We hung out for a little while; then we left. No reason for us to be there. Nobody would tell us what we're supposed to be watching out for."

AURA is "addressing a security issue at the National Solar Observatory facility at Sacramento Peak, New Mexico and has decided to temporarily vacate the facility as a precautionary measure," the observatory wrote on Facebook, adding that it is "working with the proper authorities" but has "no further comment at this time."
[/URL]

 

[Voyageur]

Hmmm. With the inclusion of the Post Office, my first thought was like an Anthrax connection. But who knows. Here is what the Watts Up With That (WUWT) folks had to say;

WEIRD: FBI closes National Solar Observatory over mysterious ‘security issue

UPDATE 9/12/18 4PM PST The issue may be related to Mercury (the metal, not the planet). On a tip from a science journalist friend who covers telescopes and who has been there, I verified the observatory uses a vat of liquid mercury as a float bearing for the giant solar telescope. According to an internal NSO/NMSU document, that bearing is “high-risk” during maintenance. If there was a major mercury spill, it might explain why the Feds are there, with FBI providing security. The amount of Mercury is said to be in the “tens of gallons” range, which is next to impossible to come by in the commercial market these days, and if it were weaponized, it would make a very nasty dirty bomb. Perhaps there’s some security issue with the mercury on-site.

Also, the observatory is in transition, with it’s management shifting to New Mexico State University:

As part of the restructuring connected to the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKI), the National Solar Observatory (NSO) will leave the Sunspot site in October 2017. However NSF, NSO, and the larger solar physics community in USA see extended scientific, educational, instrumentation and public outreach advantages in maintaining, simplifying, and upgrading, certain aspects of the telescope and the site of Sunspot. As such, the New Mexico State University (NMSU) are leading a national effort to form and lead a Sunspot Solar Observatory Consortium (SSOC) to maintain the operations of the Dunn Solar Telescope (DST) and Sunspot site for a minimum 5 year span beyond Oct 2017.

Maybe there’s been an issue during the transition.. – Anthony

Thought about the Mercury thing, yet that does not involve the Post Office (and no Hazmat Suites). Besides, a spill like that would not warrent these actions, IMO.

It continues (with some of the above stuff mentioned):

This is weird. The National Solar Observatory has a singular mission, or so we’re told:

The mission of the National Solar Observatory is to advance knowledge of the Sun, both as an astronomical object and as the dominant external influence on Earth, by providing forefront observational opportunities to the research community. The mission includes the operation of cutting edge facilities, the continued development of advanced instrumentation both in-house and through partnerships, conducting solar research, and educational and public outreach.

It’s been closed by the FBI for “security reasons” and there’s no mention of the closure on the NSO website. Not even in their news feed. Even local authorities are baffled. What could possibly be going on there that would require such a secretive response by the FBI? Some sort of suspicious package at the post office? Spies? Something they spotted with the telescope that it too explosive for the public to know about?

From a variety of wire and TV news sources. h/t to Dennis Wingo

-------------

The mysterious and sudden closure of the National Solar Observatory in New Mexico is sending alien hunters into a frenzy as the facility remains shut without explanation. The research institute in Sunspot was evacuated last Thursday along with a nearby United States Postal Service office for unexplained ‘security reasons.’

A spokesperson for the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) which manages the observatory said the evacuation was a precautionary measure due to a security issue. “It was our decision to evacuate the facility,”spokeswoman Shari Lifson added.

A statement made by the Otero County Sheriff, Benny House, to Alamogordo Daily News in the aftermath of the announcement has contributed to intense speculation around the incident, however. House said that they were asked to standby but given no further information.

“The FBI is refusing to tell us what’s going on. We’ve got people up there (at Sunspot) that requested us to standby while they evacuate it. Nobody would really elaborate on any of the circumstances as to why. The FBI were up there. What their purpose was nobody will say.”

The sheriff also claimed there was a Blackhawk helicopter at the site and work crews on towers and around antennas

Source: RT

https://www.rt.com/usa/438275-fbi-observatory-evacuated-aliens/

---------------

From KVIA-TV : {most of this was said in other posts above - here was something; an error of KVIA's or it's the wrong reference on my part}

...ABC-7 Monday spoke with Shari Lifson, who is with Aura, the company that co-manages the Observatory with NMSU. Lifson told ABC 7 there is no time-table for the Observatory to be re-opened.

If it is these guys Welcome to AURA which it is, it is not a company but an association.

The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) is a consortium of 46 US institutions and 4 international affiliates that operates world-class astronomical observatories. AURA’s role is to establish, nurture, and promote public observatories and facilities that advance innovative astronomical research. In addition, AURA is deeply committed to public and educational outreach, and to diversity throughout the astronomical and scientific workforce. AURA carries out its role through its astronomical facilities.

 

[findit]

The Solar Observatory was closed by the FBI on Sept 6 (as well as a post office) and has still not reopened. What is going on?

 

[Yas]

I'm not sure if this is related to this event or not, but I thought I'd post it here because my dad mentioned today that there could be a relation with the events in Sunspots Observatory.

NASA’s SDO Spots 2 Lunar Transits in Space

On Sept. 9, 2018, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, SDO, saw two lunar transits as the Moon passed in front of the Sun. A transit happens when a celestial body passes between a larger body and an observer. This first lunar transit lasted one hour, from 4:30 pm to 5:30 p.m. EDT and obscured 92 percent of the Sun at the peak of its journey. The second transit happened several hours later at 9:52 p.m. and lasted a total of 49 minutes, ending at 10:41 p.m. EDT. This transit only obscured 34 percent of the Sun at its peak.

Watch the movie here to see how — from SDO’s perspective — the Moon appears to go in one direction and then switch direction to cross the Moon again. The Moon does not, of course, actually change direction, but it appears to do so from SDO’s perspective based on the fact that the spacecraft’s orbit essentially catches up and passes the Moon during the first transit.

(I'm sorry if the image is too big, I couldn't make it smaller)

From Phys.org:

Watch the movie here to see how—from SDO's perspective—the Moon appears to go in one direction and then switch direction to cross the Moon again. The Moon does not, of course, actually change direction, but it appears to do so from SDO's perspective based on the fact that the spacecraft's orbit essentially catches up and passes the Moon during the first transit.

It's a rather strange event. As I understand it, the Moon had to make two turns around the Earth in just a few hours? That's kind of impossible, isn't it? But the articles also says that it's because the SDO changed its perspective... so maybe it's nothing and I'm totally confusing things from my lack of understanding of how these things work

 

[Yas]

Hi findit, I don't know the answer to your question, but here's a thread where this event is being discussed: Sunspot Observatory closed due to security issue

 

[Laura]

Findit, you couldn't find the thread already started on this topic?

 

[findit]

Apologies. Didn’t scroll all the way down the screen and missed the thread.

 

[Nienna]

Apologies. Didn’t scroll all the way down the screen and missed the thread.

Just remember, the search function is your friend.

 

[angelburst29]

09/11/2018 - National Solar Observatory Mysteriously Closed As Geomagnetic Storm Looms
National Solar Observatory Mysteriously Closed As Geomagnetic Storm Looms

The National Solar Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico has been closed since last Thursday.

ABC-7 Monday spoke with Shari Lifson, who is with AURA, the company that co-manages the Observatory with NMSU.

“The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy who manages the facility is addressing a security issue at this time. We have decided to vacate the facility at this time as precautionary measure. It was our decision to evacuate the facility.”​

Lifson told ABC 7 there is no time-table for the Observatory to be re-opened.

ABC-7 also reached out to the FBI, but did not hear back from the federal agency in time for deadline. The FBI did speak with local law enforcement about the length of the observatory closure.

“The FBI is refusing to tell us what’s going on. We’ve got people up there (at Sunspot) that requested us to standby while they evacuate it. Nobody would really elaborate on any of the circumstances as to why.
The FBI were up there. What their purpose was nobody will say. But for the FBI to get involved that quick and be so secretive about it, there was a lot of stuff going on up there.
There was a Blackhawk helicopter, a bunch of people around antennas and work crews on towers but nobody would tell us anything.”​

The FBI did not tell Sheriff House the reason for the closure. Sheriff Benny House did tell ABC 7 that his local law enforcement did not have anything to do with either the observatory closure.

For the conspiracy-minded, Sunspot is a mere 130 miles from Roswell, New Mexico, and about 90 miles from the White Sands Missile Range. Established in 1958, the observatory predates the unincorporated area in the Sacramento Mountains that was named for it.



All of which would be odd enough, but as SHTFplan.com's Mac Slavo details below, the observatory is closed just as a massive hole has opened up in the Sun’s corona, which means we’re officially on watch for a geomagnetic storm. Auroras will be likely across much of North America as the sun heads into a solar minimum.


The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a storm watch for a G2-level solar storm on September 11.

Published on Sep 11, 2018 (1:40 min.)
This movie was produced by Helioviewer.org. See the original at https://api.helioviewer.org/?action=p... or download a high-quality version from https://api.helioviewer.org/?action=d...

That’s a moderate storm on the 5-level scale, with G5 being the highest, according to Science Alert. We’re currently heading into a solar minimum, the least active period of the Sun’s 11-year cycle. That means there will be a much lower sunspot, coronal mass ejection, and solar flare activity.



If you are one of those who loves seeing the aurora borealis or the “Northern Lights,” have your camera handy, because it could be a beautiful show. As the holes open up in the Sun’s corona, although these are cooler, less dense regions of plasma in the Sun’s atmosphere, they are also more dramatic with open magnetic fields. These open regions allow the solar winds to escape the Sun’s surface more easily, blowing electromagnetic radiation into space at high speeds. If Earth is in the way of those solar winds, we could experience some intense outcomes.

While the effects of this wind will be slightly stronger than those of a G1 storm, according to Science Alert, they’ll probably pass most of us by. High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms due to surges from geomagnetically induced currents, and longer storms can cause transformer damage, but it looks like this storm will be a relatively short one. According to the British Met Office, the solar winds could travel at speeds of up to 600 kilometers per second (372 miles per second) in the next two days.

Spacecraft operations may be affected as the storm impedes GPS, which means corrections may need to be issued by ground control. And high-frequency radio propagation can fade at high latitudes.
The biggest effect will probably be the light show since the solar winds are responsible for auroras. As they blow in from space, they interact with charged particles (mainly protons and electrons) in our magnetosphere.
These charged particles then rain into the ionosphere and travel along the planet’s magnetic field lines to the poles, where interactions with other particles, such as oxygen and nitrogen, manifest as dancing lights in the sky. –Science Alert​

According to a map released by NOAA, the auroras resulting from this storm will likely be visible from Alaska, as well as the states across the United States’s Northern border with Canada and as far south as Iowa and Illinois. There will also be aurora australis visible from Antarctica.



* * *
Just in case you were blowing off the tin-foil-hat views of the observatory closure, we note that all these solar/space cams down at the same time:

• AXIS 232D Network Dome Camera located in Sydney Australia
• Webcams located at SOAR Observatory – The Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope located in Chile
• BRT Tenerife Telescope Webcam located in Spain
• Webcam located at Mauna Kea observatory at the University of Hawaii Hilo
• Webcam from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope observatory in Hawaii
• Webcam at JAT OBservatory in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania

~~~

Monday 10 Sep 2018 - Alien-hunting artificial intelligence detects dozens of deep space mystery signals
Alien-hunting artificial intelligence detects dozens of deep space mystery signals | Metro News

An artificial intelligence built to find evidence of extraterrestrial life has detected 72 mysterious signals emanating from deep space.

A system built by the Breakthrough Listen project spotted new fast radio bursts (FRBs) emanating from a ‘repeater’ called FRB 121102 that’s 3 billion light-years away from Earth.

Normally, FRBs are spotted during a single ‘outburst’ which happens just once.

But the repeater called FRB 121102 is the only source of multiple repeated bursts, including 21 detected in 2017.

A view of the Green Bank radio telescope in West Virginia (Picture: PA)

Scientists cannot explain the origin of fast radio bursts, but have suggested they are produced by neutron stars, supermassive black holes or even technology built by an advanced alien civilization.

The new signals were detected by using an AI to analyze data that has already been gathered by the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. All the burst were produced during one hour, suggesting ‘that the source alternates between periods of quiescence and frenzied activity’.

‘Not all discoveries come from new observations,’ remarked Pete Worden, executive director of the Breakthrough Initiatives.

In this case, it was smart, original thinking applied to an existing dataset. It has advanced our knowledge of one of the most tantalizing mysteries in astronomy.’ Scientists cannot yet identify the process which produces the short and sharp radio wave bursts, which means it is not possible to decide they were not made by aliens.

‘Fast radio bursts are exceedingly bright given their short duration and origin at great distances, and we haven’t identified a possible natural source with any confidence,’ Avi Loeb, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics research institute, said in 2011.

‘An artificial origin is worth contemplating and checking.


11th September 2018 - An artificial intelligence program hunting for alien life has picked up distant radio signals
Dozens of 'mysterious radio bursts' from outer space detected by alien-hunting artificial intelligence

The Breakthrough Listen program found 72 new fast radio bursts – mysterious space signals – coming from a galaxy three billion light years away.

Space scientists have been hunting for mysterious alien signals for years, but it's difficult to find anything meaningful – space is huge, after all.

The big problem isn't actually collecting the data, but trawling through it. That's why scientists enlisted artificial intelligence and machine learning tech to hunt for these signals within existing data caches. Robots work much quicker than humans.

This latest discovery came after AI dug through 400 terabytes of data collected in August last year. A single terabyte is 1,000 gigabytes, or 1million megabytes – and an hour-long BBC iPlayer programme takes up just 160 megabytes of space.

Scientists have named the source of these newly discovered signals, way outside the Milky Way galaxy, as "repeater" FRB 121102. FRBs are single, bright pulses of radio emission from extremely distant galaxies which last just milliseconds. But FRB 121102 is the only one ever recorded to emit repeated bursts.

Breakthrough Listen recorded 23 such bursts from FRB 121102 using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia in 2017.

The source of FRBs are still a mystery and the nature of the object emitting them is still unknown. Theories range from highly magnetised neutron stars and super-massive black holes to signs of an advanced civilisation.

Gerry Zhang, a PhD student at the University of Berkeley, developed a powerful learning algorithm to re-analyse the 2017 GBT data-set.

~~~

SDO images and observatory shut down by FBI.

Published on Sep 11, 2018 (23:41 min.)


Volcano Alert, Weather/Seismic Watch, Inflation? | S0 News Sep.14.2018

Published on Sep 14, 2018 (6:58 min.)

 

[Evan]

Sunspot/CME/Geomagnetic storm > Hurricane Florence? Having read Cosmic Catastrophes, Earth Changes, Cataclysm, etc, (thanks Laura), my mind automatically makes the electric universe connection. As above, so below as they say. Or, “Noah Visits The Southeast 2018.” Another manifestation of STS chaos bringing about a reckoning?