Help Protect the Dark Skies of Charlestown and Frosty Drew Observatory

For all of you who have ever spent a night at Frosty Drew Observatory, you might have noticed that its skies are quite good; in fact, we do advertise ourselves as having the darkest skies in our state. However, to keep this designation, observatory staff, as well as the entire board of Frosty Drew, have spent years fighting to protect our skies, so far rather successfully. But, now there seems to be even more push to make Ninigret Park, the observatory’s home, into more of a day/night destination by increasing the lighting in the Park. The present push involves the Park Department’s proposed construction of a football field just a few hundred feet to our west. The proposal includes lighting, up to 75 feet above the field, for night use. As the observatory is nowhere near that height above the ground, this would create a horrible addition to lighting that is already threatening our skies.

Some of you might also be surprised that Charlestown, where we are, does not have a lighting ordinance. There is one proposed, to be voted Monday, March 12th, but all signs seem to point to its being opposed by the town council, who are hearing from members of the public who believe it would be detrimental to their lifestyle. What is not generally known is that the ordinance as written has no effect on town residences.

If any of you have been down to the Frosty Drew Observatory, or have spent time observing elsewhere in the Park, please think of sending a note advocating the lighting ordinance for the town. You can read the proposal on the Town’s website, and, if you have time, find the email addresses of the council members. All of us at Frosty Drew welcome any help you can give us.

Thanks,
Francine Jackson