The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 … · 2015. 9. 30. ·...
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The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report Lighting Guidelines The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park became an International Dark- Sky Park with 100% of its outdoor lighting in compliance with the approved lighting plan. There have not been any additions, deletions, or changes to the outdoor lighting. We appreciate being recognized by the IDSP with one of their Lighting Design awards for 2014! We convinced the Yancey County Manager to replace sodium street lamps on utility poles, which were shining into the park, with LED compliant lights that are fixed to the buildings. The county was able to cancel their monthly subscriptions, per pole, and will be saving money due to only having to pay the actual power bills for the LED lighting. This has resulted in a much darker area on the approach to the park. It has also resulted in darker readings within the park, and the absence of glare has helped visitor viewing within the park.
Transcript of The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 … · 2015. 9. 30. ·...
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
Lighting Guidelines
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park became an International Dark-
Sky Park with 100% of its outdoor lighting in compliance with the approved lighting plan. There have
not been any additions, deletions, or changes to the outdoor lighting. We appreciate being recognized
by the IDSP with one of their Lighting Design awards for 2014! We convinced the Yancey County
Manager to replace sodium street lamps on utility poles, which were shining into the park, with LED
compliant lights that are fixed to the buildings.
The county was able to cancel their monthly subscriptions, per pole, and will be saving money due to
only having to pay the actual power bills for the LED lighting. This has resulted in a much darker area on
the approach to the park. It has also resulted in darker readings within the park, and the absence of
glare has helped visitor viewing within the park.
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
Before and After Photos of the Changed Lighting:
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
Sky Quality Measurements
From the beginning the sky quality measurements have been coordinated by Bob Hampton the
president of the Blue Ridge Astronomy Group. Below is his most recent report:
Annual Sky Quality Measurement (SQM) Report
Measurements performed on the night of Sunday Aug 9/Monday Aug. 10
by Bob Hampton and John Maddox of the
Blue Ridge Astronomy Group
Conditions: Excellent dark night, clear, cloudless, moonless
SITE: A (future observatory site)
No readings taken, forest canopy made measurements impossible. Trees in this
area will be cleared soon for observatory construction, readings can be taken at
a later date.
SITE: C (Green machine) 10:30 PM Temp = 26 C
Worst light pollution from east, Spruce Pine NC
Zenith 45 Deg. alt, due east Horizontal, due east
1 21.19 21.03 20.15
2 21.25 21.02 20.09
3 21.27 20.98 20.08
4 21.20 21.00 20.09
5 21.17 21.02 20.09
6 21.23 21.01 20.07
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
7 21.20 20.99 20.09
8 21.22 20.99 20.07
9 21.19 21.01 20.07
10 21.17 20.99 20.15
AVG. 21.21 21.02 20.09
SITE: B (northwest knoll) 10:45 PM Temp = 26 C
Light pollution visible in NNW (Erwin, Unicoi, Johnson City TN.)
Zenith 45 Deg. alt, NNW Horizontal, NNW
1 21.30 21.30 21.01
2 21.25 21.18 20.94
3 21.21 21.29 20.91
4 21.08 21.27 20.89
5 21.16 21.30 20.85
6 21.17 21.27 20.95
7 21.23 21.24 20.85
8 21.21 21.27 20.84
9 21.17 21.30 20.82
10 21.22 21.30 20.85
AVG. 21.20 21.27 20.89
SITE: D (shooting range) 11:15 PM Temp = 26 C
No horizon visible, obscured by high mountains and forest, no obvious
light pollution.
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
Zenith 45 Deg. alt, due south Horizontal, due south
1 21.26 21.14 21.30
2 21.27 21.17 21.12
3 21.27 21.19 21.11
4 21.30 21.28 20.87
5 21.27 21.28 20.95
6 21.28 21.24 21.01
7 21.25 21.28 21.13
8 21.28 21.22 20.93
9 21.25 21.22 21.06
10 21.25 21.24 20.95
AVG. 21.27 21.23 21.04
SITE: New site. Energy Xchange lawn. 12:00 midnight Temp = 28 C
Worst light pollution from east, Spruce Pine NC
Zenith 45 Deg. alt, East Horizontal East
1 21.27 21.14 20.52
2 21.21 21.12 20.50
3 21.17 21.09 20.49
4 21.20 21.10 20.46
5 21.17 21.11 20.47
6 21.19 21.12 20.52
7 21.15 21.10 20.49
8 21.16 21.10 20.59
9 21.19 21.11 20.48
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
10 21.17 21.16 20.78
AVG. 21.19 21.11 20.57
SITE: E (near weigh station) 12:15 AM Temp = 28 C
Light pollution visible to the east, but in looking east much of meter FOV
obscured by steep, nearby mountain and forest - horizon as high as 50 degrees.
Zenith 45 Deg. alt, due North Horizontal, East
1 21.28 21.27 20.74
2 21.22 21.29 20.65
3 21.25 21.29 20.65
4 21.26 21.28 20.61
5 21.27 21.28 20.63
6 21.26 21.28 20.55
7 21.24 21.27 20.67
8 21.27 21.22 20.71
9 21.27 21.20 20.63
10 21.26 21.22 20.61
AVG. 21.26 21.26 20.64
An extra Unihedron SQM-L Narrow Field-of-View Sky Quality Meter with lens and a Unihedron SQM-LU-DL Datalogging Sky Quality Meter with narrow Field-of-View were added this year to enhance Sky Quality Measurements in the future.
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
Reserve Commitment to Education & Outreach Programs Held
The following programs were held at the Star Park:
May 24, 2014 for the Camelopardalids Meteor Shower – approximately 40 people attended.
October 23, 2014 for a partial Solar Eclipse at sundown with star gazing afterwards –
approximately 50 people attended.
January 17, 2015 for a Comet Lovejoy viewing and star party – approximately 60 people
attended.
April 10, 2015 the start of a three night Observational Astronomy class – approximately 5 people
attended.
In June Bob Hampton took a Church group from Georgia (10 High School students and 2 adults)
to the Dark Sky Park for a late night observing session with my telescope. They were amazed by
the dark (but partially cloudy) sky, and we talked for a while about the light pollution in their
town.
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
September 17, 2015 for the groundbreaking of the new Observatory Building:
The Observatory is becoming a reality through community support and the oversight of Mayland
Community College. “This is a large project for a small college, but being ranked the number one
community college in NC and number four in the nation means we have to think big and provide quality
services to our communities,” said MCC President Dr. John Boyd. “This is also an economic development
project because we want this facility to be a place that encourages people to visit the area.” The Blue
Ridge Star Park is the first certified International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) Star Park Place in the
southeast US. The park is also the first IDA Star Park whose outdoor lighting consists entirely of light
emitting diode (LED) fixtures, and that is operated under the auspices of an institution of higher
learning. The new observatory will feature an f/3.6 StarStructure Newtonian telescope, the largest
telescope in the southeast dedicated for public use. This telescope features a 34 inch (.86 meter) mirror.
The dark-sky star park will be located beside the EnergyXchange, atop a mountain with an elevation of
2,736 feet and include a 360 degree view. The facility is expected to provide a large viewing room for
planning and educational opportunities open to the public.
Pictured at MCC’s Bare Dark-Sky Observatory groundbreaking event from left to right are MCC Board of Trustees
chair Edwina Sluder, MCC Foundation Board member Elaine Boone, MCC Trustee Bryan Peterson, community
and project supporters Larissa and Warren Bare, MCC Trustee Johnny Riddle, Blue Ridge Astronomy Group
President and Founder Bob Hampton, Yancey County EDC Director Wanda Proffitt, MCC President John Boyd,
and former MCC Foundation Board member Bill Baker.
The Mayland Community College Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park 2015 Annual Report
Our most recent event was on September 17, 2015. This was a small star party at the Dark Sky
Park for a group of 15 to 20 visually impaired people and their escorts. Most of them were not
totally blind, and several of them were able to see some objects through the telescopes,
especially the bright double star Alberio. They all enjoyed the descriptions of various objects
and we answered most of their questions about the universe. The program included a short talk
about our Dark Sky Park, and the problems excessive outdoor lighting causes for astronomers
and everyone else. There was a similar event in July with the same visually impaired group.
Several of them were able to see the Moon, or at least light from the Moon. This program also
included a talk about light pollution and what can be done about it.
There have been a handful of events like the Lunar Eclipse 10/8/14 and the Supermoon Lunar Eclipse
this past Sunday that were rained out. In addition, Bob Hampton has visited some elementary school
classes which resulted in a small bus load coming to the solar eclipse, and Jon Wilmesherr has done two
local radio shows, WKYK in Burnsville, NC, and WECR in Newland, NC, where he discussed the park and
the value of dark skies. In early September. Bob Hampton gave a presentation for the Ladies Club of
Little Switzerland (25 or 30 ladies) about the Dark Sky Park, light pollution, and the new observatory and
telescope. Most of them seemed very well informed about light pollution! The following materials have
been purchased for use with Educational programs:
Zhumell 22-68x90mm
Angled Spotting Scope
Celestron Nature DX
8x56 Binocular
iOptron SkyTracker
w/ Polar Scope
DVD of PBS’s “Lights Out: Is Too Much Artificial
Light A Bad Thing?” complete with public
performance rights (on order)
In addition the Library at Mayland Community College has established a Special Astronomy Collection
part of which will be available on site when the observatory opens.
