A coalition of New Mexico residents who spent the summer pushing to save a remote solar observatory from demolition are celebrating a partial victory.
Earlier this year, the National Science Foundation announced plans to demolish the nearly 80-year-old Sunspot Solar Observatory in the Sacramento Mountains near Alamogordo due to a liquid mercury leak inside the site’s aging telescope. A band of former employees, residents and even some state lawmakers quickly pushed back and asked NSF leaders to refrain from demolishing other facilities on the property, such as the visitor’s center, that could still be used or could be repurposed into educational attractions.
The coalition, known as Friends of Sunspot, has traveled southern New Mexico, seeking support from local city councils and elected leaders. Over the summer, Spaceport America’s executive director and the New Mexico House of Representatives majority whip backed their cause…