BCFNS NEWSLETTER

March 2025

Issue 61
Contact us at newsletter@BlancoCountyNightSky.org

116 supporting households with more than 250 members
including 25 Lifetime Household members
plus 13 Business members including 4 Lifetime Business Members
1,133 Facebook Group Members and 552 Instagram Followers
Click here for accomplishments in last year and here for complete history

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Annual Gathering

Please join us the evening of April 29th at 7:30 pm for the Annual BCFNS Gathering and Star Party. This year our event will be a “Member plus One” gathering. If you are a member, we invite you to bring a friend who may want to learn more about how they can help “Save Our Stars”. If you are not a member and have considered joining BCFNS please come and check us out.

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BLANCO FOUNDERS DAY

The 2nd Annual Blanco Founders Day event was held in the square around the Old Blanco Courthouse on March 22, 2025. Hopefully you were able to stop by our booth to say “hello”, look through the sun scope and learn more about what we are doing to “keep Blanco in the dark”! If you did you may have met our newest volunteers, Avlynn Lartigue (age 8). She is Samuel and Lacie’s oldest daughter. Avlynn greeted people as they walked by and asked if they would like to take home a pen or sticker. It is amazing the people who would stop to speak with a child but easily walk past an adult in the same booth. We may have found the secret to a more effective way of reaching folks!

SQM talk

Bob Heinonen visits with a young man interested in learning more about how the SQM meter measures darkness.

Emmie Hard squints intently into a sun scope erected as part of the BCFNS information booth at the Blanco Founders Day event. Emmie was able to see several sunspots and even the remnants of some solar flares. One should never look at the sun directly and only use a specialized sun scope such as this, equipped with a strong protective lens. Special thanks to BCFNS Volunteer, David Loose for bringing out his sun scope!

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STAR PARTY AT BLANCO STATE PARK

March 7th Blanco State Park hosted a Star Party! Katy Tiedemann, park interpretive ranger, provided an appreciative audience of 25 with a non-technical overview of astronomy while Bob Heinonen of the Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky, aka, the Wizard of the Night Sky, explained the evils of light pollution and how to help the night sky remain dark.

Katy told us that she “really appreciated the Wizard’s help. His talk about protecting the night sky perfectly complemented the Star Party. We’d also like to thank the volunteers from the Hill Country Astronomers who set up their telescopes and showed us all the interesting objects up there in the night sky. We’re definitely going to do this again!

BCFNS Board Member Bob Heinonen, aka, the Wizard of the Night Sky

Hill Country Astronomers

Jack Petersen (left) and John Watson of the Hill Country Astronomers adjust the counterweight on one of the telescopes used in the March 7th Star Party hosted by Blanco State Park. Blanco State Park hosts a variety of programs each month on topics ranging from fishing in the river to exploring the craters of the moon.

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FIRST MONTHLY BOARD MEETING AT NEW LOCATION

BCFNS held its first Board meeting at our new location on March 19, 2025, at 9:00 am. The Blanco County Community Resources Center (CRC) in Johnson City is a great fit for our organization and there is plenty of room for volunteers and guests to join us. With its Board room arrangement, quiet atmosphere and modern office support, it is a great place to get work done. The address is 206 South US Highway 281, Johnson City, TX 78636. We look forward to your attendance at our future monthly board meetings which are set for 9:00 am the third Wednesday of each month at this new location.

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NEW LIFETIME MEMBERS

Candy Cargill

Candy Cargill, owner of Hill Country Real Estate and a member of the Blanco City Council, adjusts her new sign signifying Lifetime Membership in the Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky (BCFNS). Hill Country Real Estate joins three other Blanco County Lifetime member businesses and 25 Lifetime member households. The $500 Lifetime memberships enable the BCFNS to continue its night sky preservation education efforts throughout the county. The fight against light pollution in Blanco County is vital to preserving the rural heritage of the area as well as protecting the health and safety of its residents and the wellbeing of its wildlife.

Gillespie County residents and both halves of the Him and Her musical duo, Michael D’Eath and Brenda Freed, receive their Blanco County Friends of the Night Sky (BCFNS) Lifetime Membership sign on March 6. The $500 Lifetime memberships enable the BCFNS to carry on their night sky preservation education efforts and support the fight against light pollution in the Texas Hill Country. “Light pollution doesn’t stop at the county line,” stated D’Eath, “We’re happy to support the Blanco County group because what they do helps keep our own night sky dark.”

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JUST FOR FUN

Here is another one of the poems submitted for our Annual Facebook Group Poetry Contest. No prizes…it was just for fun. This year’s theme was “What is a Star?” Jodi Brock-bates wrote this one!

What is a Star?

A Star is a brilliant night light awarded to us for all to view.
I wonder what it would be like to be a Star afar…..
Would you be a shooting star?
Zipping through the night sky
Or a falling star, drifting, down and away
Caring hopes & dreams of the day…
Or maybe a movie star with all the accolades…
Or even better a Shining Star giving light to all who roam.

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UPDATE ON BLANCO COUNTY SQM CLUSTER PROJECT

What is a SQM and what is a SQM Cluster? A SQM is a Sky Quality Meter that measures the darkness of the sky straight above you. The continuous read SQM model records the darkness straight up every 15 minutes every night of the year. By placing continuous read SQMs in strategic places around Blanco County (a Cluster), we will be able to tell if we are gaining ground or losing ground to light polluntion.

As of this date, we have 10 SQMs installed (see map below) and 3 more are scheduled for installation. After those 13 SQMs are installed, at least 3 more strategic sites need to be installed; these 3 still need locations and funding at $500 each. We need a site 3-4 miles west of Henly near US290 and 1-2 miles east of Hye near US290. Interested in more information or have a site in mind? Email SQM Project Manager

The requirements for a location are:
1. No ambient light – lights shining on the SQM mess up the readings
2. No public access (for security reasons)
3. Easy access by a volunteer who will check the SQM about every 60 days
4. No overhead obstructions like trees or buildings

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DARKSKY TEXAS TO PRESENT AT
KEEP TEXAS BEAUTIFUL CONFERENCE

Here is some more information about the presentation Cindy Luongo Cassidy, DarkSky Texas Board President, will present at the Keep Texas Beautiful Conference to be held in Austin on May 5-7, 2025.

Half Your Town is Out After Sundown
Cindy Luongo -- DARKSKY TEXAS

Before artificial lights surrounded us every night, humans were all connected by our common view of the night sky. We told stories about it. We told stories under it. By studying it, we learned our place in the universe and how to navigate our world. We developed art and literature, and songs tied to the night sky. We loved to sing “The stars at night are big and bright…deep in the heart of Texas.”

Learn the benefits to your community when better lights for better nights becomes a standard in your area. Get access to educational resources to help your organization restore the beauty of the night sky in your community. Prepare to preserve our Texas heritage of sharing the stars with family. Take note of the key elements to address to attract tourists to your area to enjoy activities after dark. Expand the use of your parks, trails, and public spaces to incorporate nighttime activities without excessive artificial lighting.

You can find more details and register for the conference by clicking on the link below. Let’s show Cindy and the Night Sky our support by attending.

2025 Keep Texas Beautiful Conference

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Member sign

CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER

A membership sign in your yard is a great way to let others know that you care about the night sky and perhaps make them curious about the organization. We have been successful with our Membership Sign Promotion but still need your help. The more signs we can get out in the public, the more people we can reach with our message about “saving the stars”.

If you have been thinking of joining BCFNS or renewing your membership, you can still take advantage of our special offering of a free one-year membership ($20) with the purchase of a sign ($35 tax included). A membership sign is the best publicity the night sky can have. Here’s the link: BCFNS Membership Signs

For more information on all our membership options click here: Membership Options

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NEXT BOARD MEETING

The next Board meeting will be April 16th at 9:00AM, at our new meeting location, the Blanco County Community Resource Center (CRC) in Johnson City. The address is 206 South US Highway 281. You are welcome to join us.

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THIS NEWSLETTER

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