The National Solar Observatory in New Mexico reopened on Monday following days of fervent speculation surrounding the mysterious evacuation and closure of the facility earlier this month. The odd series of events, which took place on September 6th, raised eyebrows among conspiracy theorists due to the nature of the site and the fact that the FBI was somehow involved in the situation. Worrisome solar activity, aliens, espionage, and an environmental issue involving liquid mercury were among the various suggestions for why the facility had suddenly been closed with no notice.
However, a statement issued on Sunday by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), who oversees the observatory alongside the National Science Foundation, shed a bit more light on what caused the site's closure. According to the group, "AURA has been cooperating with an on-going law enforcement investigation of criminal activity" that occurred at the facility. They went on to explain that "during this time, we became concerned that a suspect in the investigation potentially posed a threat to the safety of local staff and residents" and, as such, opted to vacate the building as a precautionary measure.
It would seem that whatever the investigation involved, the previously-worrisome security threat at the observatory is no longer an issue as AURA went on to announce that they were reopening the facility today. More on this intriguing development at the Coast to Coast AM website.