Preserving the Dark Preserving the Dark West Texas Night Sky at West Texas Night Sky at McDonald ObservatoryMcDonald Observatory

Mark T. Adams and William R. WrenMark T. Adams and William R. WrenUniversity of Texas at Austin - McDonald ObservatoryUniversity of Texas at Austin - McDonald Observatory

HC 75, Box 1337-MCDHC 75, Box 1337-MCDFort Davis, Texas U.S.A. 79734-5020Fort Davis, Texas U.S.A. 79734-5020

International Conference on Light PollutionInternational Conference on Light Pollution5 - 7 March 20025 - 7 March 2002La Serena, ChileLa Serena, Chile

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

McDonald Observatory overviewMcDonald Observatory overview

Lighting program goalsLighting program goals

Lighting ordinance modelLighting ordinance model

Public educationPublic education

Conservation partnershipConservation partnership

State of Texas supportState of Texas support

SummarySummary

McDonald Observatory Overview McDonald Observatory Overview

Three missionsThree missionsEducation Education ResearchResearchPublic OutreachPublic Outreach

Five professional research instruments Five professional research instruments on Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkeson Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes

9.2m Hobby•Eberly Telescope9.2m Hobby•Eberly Telescope2.7m Harlan J. Smith Telescope2.7m Harlan J. Smith Telescope2.1m Otto Struve Telescope2.1m Otto Struve Telescope0.91m and 0.76m imaging telescopes0.91m and 0.76m imaging telescopes

McDonald Observatory OverviewMcDonald Observatory Overview

Located in the Davis Mountains of Far West Located in the Davis Mountains of Far West Texas: a very dark continental site in the Texas: a very dark continental site in the southwest United States at 2,040m elevationsouthwest United States at 2,040m elevation

McDonald Observatory OverviewMcDonald Observatory Overview

West Texas is a large area of low populationWest Texas is a large area of low populationdensitydensity

~ ~ 1 - 2 persons per square mile1 - 2 persons per square mile large cattle ranches: 20 - 80 square miles eachlarge cattle ranches: 20 - 80 square miles each

McDonald likely to remain a dark site for theMcDonald likely to remain a dark site for theforeseeable futureforeseeable future

But not without vigilance and care …But not without vigilance and care … Davis Mountains are an increasingly popular Davis Mountains are an increasingly popular vacation and retirement destinationvacation and retirement destination

Over the geographic area Over the geographic area that impacts the observatory:that impacts the observatory:

Eliminate the availability and Eliminate the availability and use of poor quality, polluting use of poor quality, polluting light fixtureslight fixtures

Gradually replace poor Gradually replace poor quality existing lights, home quality existing lights, home by home, business by by home, business by business, community by business, community by communitycommunity

Lighting Program GoalsLighting Program Goals

Lighting Program GoalsLighting Program Goals

Targeted all United States Targeted all United States territory within ~ 100 territory within ~ 100 kilometers of McDonaldkilometers of McDonald Jeff Davis, Brewster, Presidio, Jeff Davis, Brewster, Presidio,

Pecos, Reeves, Culberson and Pecos, Reeves, Culberson and Hudspeth Counties in TexasHudspeth Counties in Texas

Towns: Alpine, Marfa, Fort Towns: Alpine, Marfa, Fort Davis, Presidio, Balmorhea, Davis, Presidio, Balmorhea, Van HornVan Horn

Goal: Enact lighting Goal: Enact lighting ordinances in each of these ordinances in each of these counties and townscounties and towns

Lighting OrdinanceLighting Ordinance

Lighting ordinance goalsLighting ordinance goals More efficient and attractive More efficient and attractive

outdoor lightingoutdoor lighting

Improved visibility and securityImproved visibility and security

Reduction of waste lightReduction of waste light

Elimination of glare and light Elimination of glare and light

trespass trespass

Energy conservationEnergy conservation

Dark night sky preservationDark night sky preservation

Lighting OrdinanceLighting Ordinance

Requires full cut-off fixtures for all new lights with an output Requires full cut-off fixtures for all new lights with an output > 1800 lumens> 1800 lumens

Prohibits mercury vapor fixturesProhibits mercury vapor fixtures Grandfathers existing fixturesGrandfathers existing fixtures

Goal: eventual replacementGoal: eventual replacement

Restricts floodlight pointingRestricts floodlight pointing Allows only limited exemptionsAllows only limited exemptions

Christmas Holiday decorationsChristmas Holiday decorations Lighting required by law, e.g., air safetyLighting required by law, e.g., air safety EmergenciesEmergencies Sports event lightingSports event lighting

Lighting OrdinanceLighting Ordinance

Must be politically salable at Must be politically salable at the local level, i.e., must be the local level, i.e., must be defensible as satisfying more defensible as satisfying more than our need for dark skiesthan our need for dark skies

Seed funding for hardware Seed funding for hardware purchases greatly elevates purchases greatly elevates community interestcommunity interest McDonald funding sources McDonald funding sources

have included Texas Star have included Texas Star Party, Big Bend Astronomical Party, Big Bend Astronomical Society, individual private Society, individual private donors, etc ...donors, etc ...

Public EducationPublic Education

Must overcome public Must overcome public misunderstanding of the misunderstanding of the issues associated with issues associated with lighting and astronomylighting and astronomy Initial defensive postureInitial defensive posture Overcome by concentration Overcome by concentration

on the end-users concerns on the end-users concerns (security, visibility) rather (security, visibility) rather than astronomy’s desire for than astronomy’s desire for dark skiesdark skies

Consistently and Consistently and proactively work with proactively work with homeowners, homeowners, businesses and businesses and governmental agencies governmental agencies

Persuade neighbors Persuade neighbors that non-polluting lighting that non-polluting lighting is advantageous to themis advantageous to them

Position funded by the Position funded by the Director’s Office to work Director’s Office to work with and talk to local with and talk to local communitiescommunities

Public EducationPublic Education

As a net contributor to As a net contributor to neighboring communities, neighboring communities, McDonald gains good will McDonald gains good will and political capital and political capital

K-12 educational K-12 educational programsprograms K-12 curriculum-specific K-12 curriculum-specific guided tours guided tours Periodic, unique night-Periodic, unique night-time observing programs time observing programs open to all locals open to all locals

Public EducationPublic Education

The economic viability of cattle ranching has declined The economic viability of cattle ranching has declined Ranchers face declining profitsRanchers face declining profits Result: division of single, low occupancy, large Result: division of single, low occupancy, large tracts of land into numerous 5 - 10 acre “ranch-ettes”tracts of land into numerous 5 - 10 acre “ranch-ettes”

Nature Conservancy of Texas has purchased several Nature Conservancy of Texas has purchased several large Davis Mountains ranches large Davis Mountains ranches

Resells some ranchland, but only in large tracts Resells some ranchland, but only in large tracts Land deeds incorporate easements, including Land deeds incorporate easements, including stringent lighting restrictionsstringent lighting restrictions 100,000100,000++ acres now protected in area surrounding acres now protected in area surrounding McDonald ObservatoryMcDonald Observatory

Conservation partnershipConservation partnership

State of Texas SupportState of Texas Support

Texas Department of Texas Department of Transportation adopted full Transportation adopted full cut-off lighting standards for cut-off lighting standards for state highway lightingstate highway lighting

Texas House Bill 916 Texas House Bill 916 signed into law in May 1999 signed into law in May 1999 by then Texas Governor by then Texas Governor George Bush requires all George Bush requires all state-funded lighting to be state-funded lighting to be full cut-off fixturesfull cut-off fixtures

SummarySummary

A balanced mix of A balanced mix of – public educationpublic education– attention to the interests of the end-userattention to the interests of the end-user– state-wide legislative supportstate-wide legislative support– collaboration with conservation organizationscollaboration with conservation organizations– dedicated observatory personneldedicated observatory personnel– seed hardware funding seed hardware funding

has resulted in effective lighting ordinances being has resulted in effective lighting ordinances being adopted by communities within ~ 100 kilometers adopted by communities within ~ 100 kilometers of the McDonald Observatoryof the McDonald Observatory

protecting the dark West Texas night sky for the protecting the dark West Texas night sky for the indefinite futureindefinite future