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Amazon plans to launch two satellite prototypes for the Project Kuiper network, which will eventually bring the number to more than 3,200.Project Kuiper could become a rival to SpaceX starlink constellation, currently has a strength of approximately 4,800 people. Amazon’s launch is scheduled for today at 2pm ET, with a backup launch window tomorrow. This rapid growth of the satellite industry is coming at a cost to astronomers and night sky enthusiasts, two new studies and a panel at the International Astronomical Congress highlighted this week.
All spacecraft in low-Earth orbit reflect sunlight, some glowing so much that they can be seen with the naked eye. This is an artificial constellation that competes with stars. Satellites can pose problems for astronomers because they cast stripes on images, interfere with radio observations, and reduce the scientific usefulness of their hard-earned data.By some estimates, there are several possibilities 100,000 In the 2030s, artificial satellites swarm the sky. Scientists are primarily concerned with this collective effect, but some individual satellites are actually very bright.the study Published in Nature magazine This week, AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird constellation prototype has become one of the brightest objects in the sky.another study The paper proves that even intentionally darkened satellites can remain twice as bright, or even brighter, than the limits required by astronomers to minimize impact on space science. .
Such concerns led to a major conference this week hosted by the International Astronomical Union. A center that protects the dark and quiet sky from interference from satellite constellations, known as CPS. It takes place in the Canary Islands, where there are several observatories. This is the first meeting of its kind and will bring together a large number of astronomers as well as satellite industry representatives and satellite advocates. Indigenous Peoples and the Environment Perspective and policy expert.
“We are on the threshold of a new era with large, crowded zoos of satellites. Having so many bright satellites in the sky is extremely disruptive to astronomy,” he said at a conference on Night Sky Environment. said Aparna Venkatesan, an astrophysicist at the University of San Francisco who spoke on cultural and cultural perspectives.she Co-author of previous study How satellite proliferation affects Risk of collision In low earth orbit, amount of space junk. CPS meetings have been postponed multiple times due to the coronavirus. volcanic eruption, so it is already far behind, says Venkatesan. “But in a way, the waiting was a gift because astronomers, model makers and data collectors were able to organize.”
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Astronomers are concerned that bright satellites could degrade astronomical data by bombarding images with light or interfering with radio receivers.team working on Vera Rubin Observatory The telescope in the Chilean Andes, which will be one of the most powerful telescopes on Earth when it opens next year, has proposed limits to how bright it can get. Apparent magnitude 7. (Apparent magnitude refers to how bright something appears on Earth, not its absolute brightness. The magnitude of a distant galaxy is dimmer than nearby stars or much closer satellites.) ) But most members of the satellite constellations shine much brighter, at least in part. at the time.
Satellite networks produce diffuse light in the night sky, even from orbits that are not individually visible. That light only gets brighter if a satellite collides with it, creating a reflected section of flying debris that cannot be hidden in the image. Starlink satellites have been involved in many things. near missinclude flying nearby Chinese Amamiya Space Station.
Although ground-based telescopes are the most impaired, some space telescopes are especially hubble, has also been affected. Because Hubble orbits slightly below some of the satellite network, its images include a small but increasing percentage of stripes.
Conference organizers stress that astronomers are not generally opposed to satellite constellations. broadband access, navigation,others important service. “The potential benefits to humanity are great, but so are the accompanying concerns. Confronting and solving these problems will require creative solutions and innovation.” The conference website says:. However, participants are struggling to deal with interference as the number of satellites increases. “From an astronomical perspective, we can’t stop this. It’s time to mitigate the impact and reduce the impact,” said Canarias Astronomer, co-leader of the CPS group focused on adapting observational strategies. says Mike Peel, an astronomer at the institute.
