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VND correspondent

and Stephanie Ritenbaugh

Staff writer

The Wagman Observatory is worried about too much light from its future neighbors.

Only 3 1/2 miles from the future Pittsburgh Mills mall, the observatory sits on one of the highest spots in Allegheny County. The observatory entrance is at the top of the steep hill in the middle of Deer Lakes Park which overlaps West Deer and Frazer townships.

Light pollution is when light is pointed upward or scattered outward which washes out the sky.

"For amateur astronomers, it reduces what we can see in the night sky," said Wagman Observatory director Tom Reiland.

"We can't show people the way the sky it should be seen, or as some of us saw it growing up. Then you have to drive 50 to 100 miles to see the sky, spending more on gas and adding more air pollution."

Reiland said area amateur astronomers are encouraged after recently meeting with Pittsburgh Mills officials.

"From what we've heard, the Mills people are very considerate as far as light is concerned. They promised full cut-off light. They are not our main concern. What we're concerned about is light from businesses cropping up around the mall," Reiland said.

"The Wagman Observatory is the best kept secret in the valley," said Frazer Supervisor and Township Secretary Lori Ziencik, who is an amateur astronomer. "We're protective of this resource and we'll work with them."

Reiland said light pollution is not just a problem for star gazers.

"Business and tax dollars are wasted with bad lighting," Reiland said. "Good lighting is pointed down and reduces wattage and reduces cost. That saves fuel, energy and money, leaving that energy for other uses.

"It's also a driving hazard to have bright lights hit you in the eye," Reiland said.

According to Reiland, the sky's clarity has been cut almost 30 percent during the past 15 years.

"There have been lighting problems before, but it's outside of the local township," Reiland said.

"It's usually the stuff that's been building up in Monroeville, Cheswick and Springdale. The southern part of sky is worst. Since Cranberry developed, there's a glow to northwest. The city of Pittsburgh keeps trying to come up with better ways to waste money with upward lights. They think it's pretty, but they don't realize they're taking away natural beauty of night sky."

Star brightness is measured in magnitudes. The system was started by ancient astronomers by measuring stars on a scale of one to six, with brighter stars at the lower end of the scale. Later, professional astronomers refined the system.

The brightest star, Sirius, measures into the negative side of the scale at -1.47 magnitude.

"The faintest star is about six magnitudes," Reiland explained. "Someone with good eyes can see 6.5. When I started at Wagman, I could see to 6 magnitudes. Now only see about 5.6 at best, using the same telescope."

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