Mercury spill closes Sunspot Solar Observatory

The Sunspot Solar Observatory in Otero County, along with its visitor center, popular hiking trails and picnic area, remains closed more than 20 days after uncontained mercury was discovered on the telescope platform.

Officials have been tight-lipped about the extent of the spill or cleanup operations, except to emphasize that there is no risk to the public.

On Jan. 5, two researchers from New Mexico State University working inside the tower housing the Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope discovered an unspecified quantity of liquid mercury that had leaked or spilled, according to a public notice. Mercury is a neurotoxin, and safety protocols were implemented to protect personnel at the site and begin remediation. The telescope, observatory visitor center and the grounds will remain closed until further notice with no estimated time frame available.

Mercury is highly toxic, including in vapor form, requiring careful cleanup protocols to avoid spread.

A spokesperson for the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy said the leak was contained within the building but declined to provide further details about the cleanup protocols or whether a cause had been determined. A large cleanup would require measures to ventilate

The telescope’s 250-ton platform floats on 120 gallons of liquid mercury as part of its optical system, according to the observatory website. The mercury float bearing supports that system as well as the observing room floor while providing an image of the sun that can be rotated and aligned with instruments for observation.

The telescope was built by the U.S. Air Force in 1969 and has since been upgraded and updated as a key research facility.

The observatory sits on Sacramento Peak at an altitude of 9,200 feet in the Lincoln National Forest outside Cloudcroft and overlooks the Tularosa Basin. It is owned by the National Solar Observatory, part of the U.S. National Science Foundation, which supports NMSU’s operation of the telescope.

Algernon D'Ammassa is the Journal's southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.