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ANOTHER LIFETIME MEMBER !!!

Candy Cargill, Owner of Hill Country Real Estate, received a Blanco Chamber of Commerce Night Sky Friendly Business Recognition Certificate of Merit on November 20th from Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky (BCFNS) Board Member, Elizabeth Miller, (right). Wayne Gosnell, BCFNS President, delivered the business’s Lifetime BCFNS Membership sign, the fourth business in the county to donate $500 to become a Lifetime member. Ms. Cargill is also on the Blanco City Council and a great supporter of the night sky. All membership proceeds go towards educating the public about light pollution in Blanco County and working to preserve the night sky. Photo by Shannon Millard

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BLANCO COUNTY SQM NETWORK
What is a SQM and why are SQM’s important?

A Sky Quality Meter (SQM) measures how dark the sky is at night at a specific location. It is pointed at the same place in the sky each time a reading is taken. Over a period of years, taking a reading every 15 minutes at night, it is possible to accurately determine if the night sky is getting lighter or darker or staying the same.

Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky wants to determine if Blanco County is gaining or losing ground in the fight against night sky light pollution. As part of the BCFNS 10-year plan, BCFNS will keep track of the dark sky conditions throughout Blanco County by installing a SQM Network of at least 10 permanent stations positioned around Blanco County.

A proof-of-concept SQM was installed at a volunteer's home in August through a generous donation. The volunteer now sends data to DarkSky Texas and is in the process of feeding Globe At Night. A chapter of DarkSky International, DarkSky Texas is in the process of setting up a statewide system of analysis. Globe At Night gathers and publishes statistics worldwide.

SQM Project Status
1. Our first SQM (BC01) is in place in western Blanco County
2. Bamberger Ranch Preserve is about to install a SQM and join the Blanco County SQM Network (BC02)
3. The BCFNS Board has authorized the purchase of two more SQM's (BC03 and BC04)
4. A volunteer has committed to installing a SQM in deep southern Blanco County in January (BC03)
5. We have one more installation site in discussion (BC04) in central Blanco County
6. We are looking for more sites in eastern, northeastern and northwestern Blanco County

If you are curious about having a permanent SQM installation on your property, it doesn’t require much space or effort and no cost on your part. Just contact Bob Heinonen at dba@BlancoCountyNightSky.org

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SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

Shop for your Christmas gifts and support the night sky all at one time. We have a few ideas to share with you such as the Hill Country Alliance 2025 calendar and BCFNS T-shirts.

HILL COUNTRY ALLIANCE 2025 CALENDAR

Hill Country Alliance (HCA) tells us that “Thanks to all of our incredible 2024 Photo Contest participants, the 2025 Hill Country Calendar looks FANTASTIC!” You can explore the winning shots and get your own copy of the new 2025 Calendar today. Hill Country Alliance 2025 Calendar

This is a great calendar with incredible photos from across the Hill Country. October always features an awesome night sky photo! HCA is a great supporter of BCFNS now our members can show our appreciation by purchasing a calendar. Hint for next year…Consider submitting your photos, especially of the night sky, for the next contest…but read the rules ahead of time.






BCFNS T-SHIRTS
If you didn’t get your solar eclipse T-shirt and would still like to have one as a keepsake, they will be on our website for a limited time yet. We also have a variety of styles like the ones pictured below. Click here to check out our inventory: BCFNS T-SHIRTS

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CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER