 BPAA
kicks off fundraising for the John H Rudolph
Planetarium, color brochure in Adobe format explains it all.
Read the BPAA Response to Proposal for Sports
Field Lighting in Battle Point Park, presented to Bainbridge Island
Park and Recreation District on June 14, 2005, in MS-Word format.
Also, here is a brochure on the Facts about Lights
in the Park in Adobe Acrobat format.
BPAA Newsletters :
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Special Issue Celebrating the Life and Work of John
Rudolph
September & October, 2003 (big
file, 2 meg, be patient)
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21 June 2005
Bainbridge Island Park and Recreation District
Attn: Perry Barrett
P.O. Box 10010
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Dear Mr. Barrett:
We support the position of the Battle Point Astronomical Association
(BPAA) in opposing sports field lighting at Battle Point Park.
Observatories contribute greatly to the public understanding and
enjoyment of science. Bright lights from sports fields destroy the
usefulness of observatories. Amateur and professional astronomers have
fought battles all over the country to preserve reasonably dark skies so
that both scientists and the general public can investigate and marvel
at the wonders of the universe. We are sorry to learn that the
usefulness of Battle Point Observatory is being threatened. At the
University of Washington campus in light-polluted Seattle we wish we had
such a nice dark site as Battle Point Park!
So many people today have not had a chance to see a dark night sky.
Battle Point Park has been providing an opportunity to residents of
Bainbridge Island and beyond to have a unique experience. Hardly any
lights pollute the view of the skies. You can see the stars!
Furthermore, there is a large telescope there and maybe some other
amateur telescopes and you might have a chance to look at something
beyond the Earth. The Battle Point Astronomical Observatory provides a
chance to get in touch with the natural world in a way that no other
experience provides. Why would Battle Point Park choose to destroy such
a treasure?
Having sports field lighting on in early evening hours compromises the
observatory in several ways. First, young people would not be able to
attend observatory functions because they have to go to bed. The same
evening hours that kids would be playing sports are the ones where some
of them might also choose to stargaze instead. As for the general
public, even adults don't usually want to attend an observatory open
house or a star party late at night. In addition to weather constraints
(You can't predict the weather and you observe when you can.), some
astronomical phenomena might be visible only in the early evening. For
example, the planet Venus is setting about 10 p.m. right now. Or there
might be a lunar occultation (moon covers up a star) at 6 p.m. PST in
November. It the lights are on, observing is severely compromised.
We hope that the Bainbridge Island Park and Recreation District will
reject the proposal to put sports field lighting in Battle Point Park.
The Battle Point Observatory is an important resource for the community
and the region. Its mission and effectiveness should be protected.
Sincerely yours,
Janice DeCosmo
Director, Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium
Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Education
Julie Lutz
Associate Director, Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium
Research Professor of Astronomy
Robert Winglee
Associate Director, Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium
Professor of Earth and Space Sciences
 Education
message: We proudly participate in Project AstroBio. More information
on Project Astro is available from the
University of
Washington and the Astronomical Society
of the Pacific.
Volunteers Always Needed
Note from the President Emeritus, Mac Gardiner:
The Grand Opening, on the December (1997) solstice, marked the start of the
transition of BPAA activities from an emphasis on construction, through a
meld of the two, to an emphasis on operations.
This certainly doesn't mean that construction and development will cease.
Much more can and will be done to complete the initial phase of a working
facility. And that is just the start.
It also doesn't mean that there haven't been useful, educational, and enjoyable
operational activities to date. Far from it.
However, now there is room and equipment available to start many operations
for which many people have been waiting. This provides opportunities
for activities that are useful and enjoyable, and that will enable this amateur
organization to mature. We have chosen to abstain from government grants
and the like to ensure that we will not become dependent on them. This
means that we have to find a way to do that without using any paid
positions. There are a few amateur astronomical organizations that have prospered
for decades, operating in that mode, and they provide a fine example.
We simply must expand our organization structure to cover all these
tasks, some of which are clerical, custodial, or routine, and also essential.
Further, this being an amateur organization, we have to accept the
fact that those given responsibilities cannot always be available, and therefore
backups must be available. (It also means that there can be mobility
in the assignments).
Don't worry if you have had no experience for the task. All of us have
taken on things that were completly unfamiliar at the start. Learning
is fun!
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