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Category: International Dark Sky Association

Published: 17 October 2022

Photo from Great Falls Connection

From the Great Falls Connection, Monday Oct 17,2022 (http://www.greatfallsconnection.com/news/2022/sep/28/proposal-dark-sky-preserve/) is a front page article of the Dark Sky Preserve proposed to encompass Turner Farm, Observatory Park:

"According to Supervisor John W. Foust (D-Dranesville), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors revised the county-wide lighting standards in 2020 to better address glare and light pollution. Per Va. Code 15.2-920, the Board approved a follow-on motion that directed staff to research and analyze zoning rules to protect dark skies around astronomical facilities." Correction: The results of the survey that the County did are included as Attachment 1: Zoning Ordinance Amendment - Outdoor Lighting Dark Skies around Turner Farm Park Observatory Preliminary Concepts (fairfaxcounty.gov). Question 3 asks whether they would support additional limitations on lighting within ½ mile around the observatory, and 50% said no, 41% said yes, and 9% said, I don’t know.

Maintaining dark skies in this area is vitally important. "Jeffrey Kretsch of the Analemma Society said that people come to Observatory Park for the hands-on experience of observing and classes. The park has seen over 7,500 visitors in the last four years, according to Kretsch."

"Tammy Schwab, the Park Authority's manager for education and outreach, said that they are increasing the efforts county-wide in support of dark skies. Schwab explained how the county is "walking the walk" and doing its part to support dark skies. The Park Authority is in the process of switching to amber-colored lights (not orange) for the outdoor ballasts at the Observatory. Evidence shows that lighting with amber reduces light pollution and is a safer, viewer-friendly environment than white lights with their disability glare and a reduction in visibility. She added that the county applied to the International Dark-Sky Association to designate the area around the observatory as an Urban Night Sky Place."  We encourage all regardless of location to minimize outside lighting, not only for dark sky observing, but for the preservation of wildlife and bird migration that are severely affected by increased urban lighting.

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Category: International Dark Sky Association

Published: 22 April 2022

April 22-30, 2022 is a week long campaign organized by the National Science Foundation's NOIRLab to raise awareness about the impact of light pollution.  You can become involved TONIGHT.  This is Fairfax County's first annual ONE DARK HOUR.  To participate in One Dark Hour, simply turn off your outdoor lights between 9 and 10 PM tonight Friday, April 22,2022.  Then, go out and look for stars.

Observatory Park at Turner Farm will be open for a free Friday viewing session for the public.  These normal Friday night public viewing of the skies will be in special observance of One Dark Hour.  The even is sponsored by the Fairfax County Parks Authority.  Check out their information website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/topics/dark-skies

           "Together Under the Stars" by Matt Triplow

Read more about ONE DARK HOUR from the attachment below and more about this year's dark skies campaign at https://www.darksky.org/six-ways-to-take-action-this-international-dark-sky-week/?fbclid=IwAR1-Shk1ndNk2-_UChlvfXIRfshwTpZiw3RHDsSxIyz5_3Y9L0Mr_oyQASQ 

Attachments:

One Dark Hour Flyer.pdf

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578 kB

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Category: International Dark Sky Association

Published: 23 October 2021

On Monday, Oct. 18th the Environment and Parks (E&P) Committee of the Great Falls Citizen Association (GFCA) and representatives from the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) met at the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner Farm to finalize a submission to the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) designating Observatory Park at Turner Farm as an Urban Dark Sky Site.  For some months Tammy Schwab, manager of Education & Outreach Resource Management Division of FCPA has been diligently working on the IDA application that was presented in near final form at the Monday meeting.  It includes the background of Turner Farm and its change from a DoD facility to a public park for both equestrian and astronomical use.  The document provides the lighting management plan at Turner Farm Park emphasizing useful, targeted, low light levels using appropriate warm colors of the spectrum. 

John Foust, Dranesville District Supervisor introduced a resolution recognizing that dark skies are an important resource:

No street lighting was allowed on Springvale Road, which runs along the park’s western boundary. Great Falls is zoned with minimal residence parcel size of five acres reducing local lighting density. Turner Farm is located in Fairfax County, which enacted a lighting ordinance in 2000 that was updated and strengthened in February 2020.

"NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Fairfax Count Board of Supervisors supports the efforts to designate Observatory Park at Turner Farm Park an International Dark-Sky Association Urban Night Sky Place to benefit of the residents, wildlife, plants, and environment of Fairfax County.  Adopted this 5th day of October 2021, Fairfax Virginia."

A letter of support from the President of the Analemma Society states:

"The Analemma Society supports the designation by the International Dark Sky Association of Observatory Park at Turner Farm in Great Falls, Virginia as an Urban Dark Sky Site.  For many years our society has worked ceaselessly to educate the public in Science through Astronomy at Turner Farm Observatory.  I have been an advocate of dark skies in our area and personally worked to get the current lighting ordinances now in place in Fairfax County.  We include light pollution education in our presentations and outdoor public events.  We ask the International Dark Sky Association to grant this designation to Turner Farm.  Sincerely, (signed) Charles Olin, Founding President, Analemma Society."

And the petition itself from a qualified IDA member:

"Dear IDA board members

"I am pleased to submit this nomination for an Urban Dark Sky Site for Observatory Park at Turner Farm in Great Falls, Virginia ... Public observing sessions have been conducted here since 2003, mostly free Friday Night Viewing sessions, as well as special events for eclipses, meteor showers and equinoxes and solstices.  Volunteers have conducted astronomy courses here as well which include dark sky information.  Our site has suffered increasing light pollution as growth and development are taking place in our area.  Our observatory and class room facilities as well as an open field provide a good venue to teach the public the nature and problems of light pollution...I recommend Observatory Park at Turner Farm for the Urban dark sky place designation without reservation.  Over the years the dedication of the volunteers and the Park Authority to the mission of Astronomy education has born fruit in local support of strengthening the outdoor lighting ordinance especially in the locality directly surrounding the facility.  I beleive the designation is well deserved and would help observatory park increase its reach into the community.  Sincerely, (signed) Jeffery L. Kretsch, Ph.D. Life Member, International Dark Sky Association, Treasurer Analemma Society, and Fairfax County Volunteer."

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Category: International Dark Sky Association

Published: 01 August 2020

We'll start with Bozeman, MT and an article by Katheryn Houghton of the Bozeman Chronicle (photo by Ryan Berry of the Chronicle) from Jan 2020: "Bozeman updated its light standards in 2017 to replace its streetlights with LED bulbs, which use less electricity and last longer than the high-pressure sodium bulbs the city previously relied on.... Some complained the new lights took over the night skies and seeped through their windows, an issue former commissioner Jeff Krauss repeated often in recent years on the board...[and] city staff have said they could dim and add shields to lights that are too bright."

The city owns and maintains 768 of the lights in town - the majority of which are LED -and the state has fewer than 70. Northwestern Energy owns the biggest chunk - 1,400 street lights - and a majority aren’t LED."  Northwestern is now retrofitting with LEDs across the state.  But ultimately there is a problem.  Bozeman doesn't know who owns 1,100 of the 3,300 light fixtures in town.

Now we come to Keith Smith reporting in a recent 31 July article in AAAS Science: "Dimming or extinguishing street lights can reduce light pollution, but its efficacy has been difficult to measure. Barentine et al. [in Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer] monitored the sky brightness over the city of Tucson, [AZ], during a test of a new municipal street lighting system. The city authorities dimmed their streetlights at midnight, allowing the authors to determine that street lighting now contributes only 14% of Tucson's total light pollution. Further reductions must focus on other sources, such as private businesses and illuminated advertising."

Light polution is a serious issue being addressed by the International Dark Sky Association https://www.darksky.org/  The approach to reducing sky light pollution needs to focus on updating lighting codes and standards, but we need to convince our lawmakers there is a problem:  Become a science-citizen to measure light pollution and advocate for a modern lighting ordinance in your town.  There are many other things you can do - go to:https://www.darksky.org/get-involved/