Mr. Jefferson's University embraces just about every activity, interest and whim of its diverse student population. Despite this, some stargazers have found that observing the night sky is an increasingly difficult thing due to the high level of light pollution coming from University buildings on Grounds.
To many, light pollution goes unnoticed because no one takes the time to look overhead.
"Most people don't think about simply just looking up at the sky," said Paul Ries, an astronomy department TA and Graduate Arts & Sciences student.
Anyone who stops to observe the night sky here will be shocked at how few constellations or bright stars they can pick out.
"When a student looks up at a dark sky, everything is perfectly clear," Ries said. "However, if they move to the Grounds and look up, there will be a huge difference in visibility."
Although Scott Stadium stands as a symbol of school spirit, its bright lights sometimes impede the work of the astronomy department. Astronomy Prof. Edward Murphy said he feels disgruntled from time to time when he cannot see anything overhead.
"During football weekends, we expect that there is nothing that gets done," Murphy said. "Many nights there are stadium lights on but no one out there -- it makes work a little bit frustrating sometimes."
While Scott Stadium and other athletic facilities certainly do require immense amounts of light, energy is never wasted, said Jason Bauman, the associate athletics director for facilities and operations.
"We've been questioned sometimes about why the stadiums' lights are on," Bauman said. "Many times, we need to produce a certain light level to produce the media and television components. Once in a while during a game week, we'll have the lights on beforehand to get to a certain point with the painting plan. After football games, we'll leave lights on to start cleanup."
The Athletic Department has taken several strides in conserving energy during athletic events.
"After the games, we turn off two of the field lighting poles for cleanup," Bauman said. "Also, when we installed lights at the baseball stadium a few years ago, we included light restrictors to reduce spillage. We try to strike a balance between what is necessary and what we can reduce on."
For Arts & Sciences graduate student Genevieve de Messieres, the major problem on Grounds is not Scott Stadium but what she calls poorly designed street lights along almost every road.
"There's no hope for stargazing during football weekends, but the inappropriate street lights are what cause the most problems for me," de Messieres said. "I would much rather have one night gone than an ambient glow all of the time."
Because of their design, de Messieres believes the street lights to be wasteful and inefficient.
"These lights on every street corner shine up towards the sky which not only make work hard for us and contribute to glare, but, in addition, they shine in drivers' eyes and waste energy," she said. "The attitude at night is the more light the better, but in reality, it should be the right kind of light."
The presence of bright lights on Grounds can make any required undergraduate work a challenge as well.
"You tend to notice it the most during night labs, required of all astronomy students," Ries said. "When the lights are all on, the sky is so bright that trees are fully lit up. We really can't observe anything in the Eastern sky during these times at all."
The department's other resources, however, keep the light impediments from inconveniencing research.
Fan Mountain, a University-run observatory 15 minutes away from Charlottesville, is the best place for faculty and graduate students to accomplish work.
"Most of the research we do is not on Grounds but at Fan Mountain, which is far enough away from school and nearby strip malls not to be a problem," Ries said.
Ries also commented that, despite the light pollution, the perspective of the sky in Charlottesville is still a very good one.
"I don't really see that much of a problem overall," Ries said. "Coming from the University of Maryland, which is five minutes from Washington, D.C., this environment is perfectly fine with me."
Whether it is required for a class or out of intellectual curiosity, there are plenty of sky-viewing opportunities for students on Grounds.
For those wanting to see the sky up close and personal, the McCormick Observatory has operated as the University's primary center for studying astronomy since 1885, when it was dedicated on Jefferson's birthday. All resources and telescopes are available for any student to use.
"We believe that it was a part of the gift in the original donation that the observatory be open to the public on a regular basis," Murphy said. "I encourage both students and parents to stop by and take a look around the facilities."
Another recommended site for celestial observation is the garage area located on the side of the Astronomy Building. "This is where all undergraduate students come to do their night labs, but students are always welcome to use the area whenever they like," de Messieres said. "Just remember to bring a blanket and a flashlight."
On top of serving as the center of Grounds and the picturesque image of the University, the Lawn is another place students can venture to find a clear view of the sky.
"Unless there is a huge event going on, there aren't any lights that will pose problems," said de Messieres.
Despite the University's vast resources, its light pollution can keep stargazers in the dark.
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