A question of darkness

Minor insists that racing more than one night a week wouldn't become an issue because sanctioned races are based on point systems and tracks are not allowed to hold more races than other tracks because it would give their racers an unfair point advantage over other national racers. However, the ABA-BMX Web site states there are "well over 300 tracks in the United States alone, with new ones being built every week. Some of these tracks operate as many as two to three times per week." Representatives from the ABA-BMX national organization did not return phone calls.

Minor says that if the town offers him only the land adjacent to the observatory, he will not back away from the project. "I have invested too much time and too much of my own money into this project now. I have a lot of supporters backing me and I don't think this track will put the observatory out of business."

He says he's done research on light pollution and discounts that the development of the track would eventually mean an end to the observatory. However, Minor admits he has not researched the issue of dust harming the telescope equipment. "We used a packed clay and I suppose if the track was not maintained properly, it could cause dust to be flying around, but I would be out there watering the track down to ensure that doesn't happen. I don't think there would be any more dust than what is currently caused by farming in the area or the gravel road," Minor says.

KDON members and founders of the Far Point Observatory in Eskridge, Kan., Graham Bell and Gary Hug disagree with Minor. Bell and Graham discovered the Hug-Bell comet and credit the Powell Observatory with the discovery.

"The dust from a dirt bike track poses an even more ominous problem than does the light. On a calm night, it may take hours for the dust to settle, so the 10 p.m. lights out may mean nothing. Keeping optics clean is not a trivial task under the best of conditions. Most attempts to clean an optical component result in destruction of the critical coating on the optics," Hug and Bell wrote in a letter to the observatory.

Reuss may regret that the society has not done enough political schmoozing with Louisburg's elected officials. In a letter to the editor of the Louisburg Herald, he writes, "We are all volunteers; this activity is what we choose to do with our free time. Most members of our club would prefer to first observe, then learn more and enhance our equipment, then share our knowledge with others, and then way, way down on the list, get involved in local politics." Other society members appear afraid that local politicians and residents may just be tired of hearing them talk about background lighting, and with the second lease renewal coming up in two years, they worry that the society won't get the renewal.

Reuss explains that members are not opposed to sports or development. "My kids are in all kinds of sports, and we have been able to work with increasing development for the past 18 years and could continue to do so if it is done responsibly," he says. But not all sky watchers are that amicable.

The controversy has hit the Internet, generating support for the observatory from all over the world. The list of supporters is a who's who among the astronomical community, including astronomers from Italy and Canada and professors from the University of California-Berkeley and Dartmouth College. Several of the comments connect the issue with the evolution controversy and science standards decisions made by the Kansas State Board of Education.

In one letter, Bob Mizon, fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and coordinator for the British Astronomical Association's Campaign for Dark Skies, says, "Half of our environment is above the horizon, and that half has little protection in law. Administrators should be aware of the need to preserve a precious resource, the night sky, and that means to study it through observatories available to the public. What will we have contributed to the common good if the children of the late 21st century have to ask their parents, what were the stars?"