5 ms·

> my guess is armed extremists threatening to take it over? ... why?

• dvh 8y ago
  350 pounds (or 10 tons? Actual amount is unknown) of mercury
  • SEJeff 8y ago
    350 pounds of stupid
  • yasp 8y ago
    Do observatories usually have hundreds of pounds of mercury?
    • theoctopus 8y ago
      Some observatories (including this one it seems) use liquid mercury as mirrors: https://sunspot.solar/about/ https://sunspot.solar/about/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_mirror_telescope https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_mirror_telescope
  • openasocket 8y ago
    OK, I'll bite: why would extremists want a whole bunch of mercury?
    • AnimalMuppet 8y ago
      It's a useful ingredient in some explosives.
    • deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
  • LyndsySimon 8y ago
    ... as far as I know, mercury isn't a restricted product and can be shipped to your door. Here's a video of a guy flushing 240# of mercury down a toilet (NOT connected to a sewer or septic system), just to see if it was possible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvVaaZ21C44 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvVaaZ21C44 It's not exactly difficult to find industrial users of mercury, and the mercury at Sunspot is in a sealed instrument. I see no reason why the presence of mercury there would be incentive for an "armed group" to attempt to assault and/or hold the observatory.
    • amdavidson 8y ago
      Why is he not wearing gloves?!
      • LyndsySimon 8y ago
        I'm no expert here, but is metallic mercury that much of a hazard? I thought it was the vapor that was the big risk with handling mercury. Obviously, I'd be sure of that before I handled it :)
        • acct1771 8y ago
          Believe so. See: mad hatters
  • dsnuh 8y ago
    For reference, 350 lbs is about 3 gallons of liquid mercury. Mercury is heavy.