I believe it's the home of SETI as well as being a very underpopulated state.
There are vast regions in NM with not a soul. The whole state has one area code
for the phone system.

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 09:12:25 -0700, "Starlord" opined:

I've never been there, but one thing I know about the whole state of N.M., they
now have one of the best anti-light pollution laws on the books now. State is
very PRO Astronomy.