A question of darkness

Back in the early 1980s, Louisburg, Kan., was a very small town sitting on a lonely stretch of U.S. 69 Highway about 30 miles south of metropolitan Kansas City. Most people in the city didn't know much about Louisburg. What was known was that driving south to the town in Miami County at night meant dark -- and depending upon cloud cover -- starlit skies. Louisburg is still a small town, but the skies are getting brighter.

It was the darkness in the southern skies above Louisburg -- southern night skies are important to astronomers because most objects appear on the southern horizon -- that attracted The Kansas City Astronomical Society, a group of local amateur astronomers. Their Swope Park observatory was suffering under city-generated light pollution.

Nick Reuss, the observatory director, wasn't around for the negotiations in 1982, but it is his impression that Louisburg was very happy at the time to have the observatory come to town. Eventually, the society reached a 10-year, $1-a-year lease agreement with Louisburg for a new observatory to be built on a one-acre tract in Lewis-Young City Park. Esther Young had donated 220 acres for the park in 1976. She stipulated that the park be used for "a public park and recreation area for the benefit of the general public and in particular the citizens of the city of Louisburg."

With contributions of money and time from members of the society, various organizations, the city of Louisburg, and The Powell Family Foundation, the Powell Observatory was dedicated in 1985. For years, things went well for the observatory in its relationship with the city and in attracting people to Louisburg to view the skies.

"We have not told anyone what to do but have suggested ways to not only keep light pollution to a minimum.... We have been very successful in convincing new development to use responsible lighting, especially when they have built to our south," says Reuss.

For example, shielded lights keep stray light from going up into the night sky and blocking the view of the stars. Although Powell's 30-foot telescope is the largest and most sensitive in a five-state area, bright lights can inhibit viewing of the most faint objects.

Several weeks ago, Reuss attended a Louisburg City Council meeting trying to gain approval for a cement pad to be built next to the observatory to hold a smaller telescope that would be accessible to handicapped visitors. What he heard at the meeting came as a shock: The Louisburg Park Board was considering a proposal to allow a BMX (Bicycle Motocross) track to be built just south of the Powell Observatory property line.

"I was very surprised that the city had not told us of this, because they have always worked with us on everything that has gone into the park," Reuss says. For example, several years ago the city decided to make further use of the park by building baseball and soccer fields and allowing a tractor pull once a year. "The parks board has always been very courteous, and we have had a standing agreement to have the sports field and concession lights turned off by 10 p.m.," Reuss continues. "Besides, the fields are to the east and north of the observatory; the (BMX) track would be about 500 yards south."

But Reuss has a concern besides lights glaring into the night sky. Dirt and dust flying off of the track during races and practice heats would threaten telescope optics and mirrors, he says. Those telescope parts are extremely sensitive and must be cleaned to ensure optimal use. The cleaning process eats away at the mirrors' protective coating, which is necessary for the proper operation of the equipment. Also, "We have to dismantle the telescope and send it away to be re-coated now once every three to five years," says Reuss. "That costs approximately $1,200, in addition to shipping and time we have lost because the observatory must be shut down for that period."

The Astronomical Society operates the $300,000 observatory on about a $17,000 annual budget. Reuss says moving the observatory is not an option. "It would cost us approximately $200,000 to move the observatory, and we just don't have the manpower to do it," he says. Budget monies come from 340 family memberships to the society and through donations, public nights, and private parties held at Powell. Events have to be scheduled around soccer and baseball games held at the park. Also, there's the weather factor. "If it is a cloudy night, we have to cancel," Reuss says.

But Powell is more than just a telescope pointed toward the sky. The facility has become increasingly important to the worldwide astronomical community with its research into locating and confirming the existence of Near Earth Objects (NEOs). "The only difference between an amateur and a professional in this profession is that the professional is being paid for their work," says Scott Kranz, president of the society.

Almost a year ago, the Astronomical Society decided to conduct serious research into locating and tracking unknown asteroids and comets. Because there are very few professional astronomers in the world and only about 110 amateurs conducting such research, every observatory involved in the effort is considered to have a significant effect on science. As a result of Powell's involvement, the observatory helped in the discovery of 30 astronomical bodies and is currently ranked by NASA as 51st among a list of 265 observatories in the world. Powell is also a part of the Kansas Digital Observers Network (KDON), which includes three other observatories in Kansas, and as a network is ranked 9th in the world.