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There's a full moon every night at Hanover College's observatory -- at least it seems that way to astronomy students and their professor.

But it isn't from the heavens.

The glow from the BP gas station, across the road, is blocking thousands of stars from view, according to a recent study by worried stargazers at the private college. And, as the school year ended Friday, college officials were still trying to broker a deal for a dimmer environment with company big-wigs.

This continuing struggle in southeastern Indiana reflects what light-reformers say is a growing problem of excessive outdoor lighting here and nationwide.

The Indiana Council on Outdoor Lighting Education, a statewide group of astronomers and others, estimates in a report this month that misdirected and excessive outdoor lighting costs Indiana's utility ratepayers more than $100 million annually in wasted electricity production.

"From a marketing standpoint, you want the place to show up and be bright," said Scott Kohlmeier, sales representative for Lykins Co., distributor for BP. He doesn't think it's possible to get rid of all the glare from the station, which opened last month along Ind. 62 in Jefferson County.

The college paid the distributor $500 to build the station with light protections, including recessed lighting and protective shields.

Excessive outdoor lighting already has spurred some cities, such as Nashville, to pass ordinances restricting outdoor lights and others to consider it -- including the town of Hanover.

"I think there is definite light pollution that gets into the way of our education," complained 19-year-old sophomore Sarah Wolin, who just completed an astronomy course. "The light makes it completely impossible to fully see everything that's out there."

Hanover Vice President Frank Williams said he's hopeful more can be done.

After talking last week with BP's distributor, Williams said, there's a "cooperative atmosphere."

Astronomy professor George Nickas isn't so sure.

His students conducted tests last month showing two-thirds of the station's light shines off the property -- thus distorting the distant view of the stars from his observatory. He's also worried the college's new telescope costing $16,000 will be less useful unless more is done to block the light.

Nickas said he measured the light from 13 gas stations and found that BP is the brightest in the Madison-Hanover area.

McDonald's, which has an eatery at the station, also is being pressured for changes. A McDonald's spokesman said the BP company controls the parking lot lighting at the site, but Professor Nickas said outdoor lights at the eatery add significantly to the problem.

Senior Phillip Chamberlin believes the lights do "drown out a lot of the stars, even the real bright ones to the west. They have a lot more lights than they need."

He had to scurry to complete his physics project using the observatory before the station opened and cast its glare. But he admits some students are more interested in getting a Big Mac than seeing the stars.