I oppose the university’s plan to purchase an additional outdoor lighting system. The university says it would make our historic campus more attractive by illuminating our buildings at night. However, the university would spend an extra $1,000 per month for electricity. Instead, I recommend the money be used to complete the library renovation project as quickly as possible. That’s not the only reason we shouldn’t get the new system. These powerful lights would brighten the sky as well as the buildings and seriously interfere with the use of our astronomy equipment. Our academic mission must come first—and the practice of astronomy is done best when the sky is darkest.

—R. N Heinrich, Professor of Astronomy