planet4589 (Jonathan McDowell)
Another major article on the threat to astronomy from satellite constellations: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/satellite-constellations-are-an-existential-threat-for-astronomy/
I'll be giving a colloquium on this topic on Tuesda at the Center for Astrophysics.
Satellite Constellations Are an Existential Threat for Astronomy

Growing swarms of spacecraft in orbit are outshining the stars, and scientists fear no one will do anything to stop it

Scientific American
Jan 30, 2023 at 3:50amMastodon Twitter Crossposter
Show threadBlake C. StaceyJan 30, 2023
@planet4589 I suppose that if the solar flares don't finish the job, we'll just have to do it ourselves....
Show threadCarly SaganJan 30, 2023
@planet4589 we *must* focus on the ozone depletion/alumina droplet problem. That is the only way it will be slowed or limited. FCC/gov/etc doesn’t give a damn if ground-based astronomy dies. They (maybe) give a damn if the entire planet dies.
Show threadadbJan 30, 2023
@planet4589 Overall, do space telescopes and satellite constellations put astronomers ahead or behind of the game?
Show thread🦄 I Make Robots 🦄Jan 30, 2023
@planet4589 We know it was us who scorched the sky.
Show threadM. FiorettiFeb 4, 2023

@planet4589

just for completeness, besides #astronomy there is also a cultural/ neocolonialist side to this problem of #starlink and other satellites lighting the night sky:

https://stop.zona-m.net/2019/07/who-owns-the-night-sky/

Who owns the night sky? | Stop at Zona-M

Show threadIgor SovcikFeb 4, 2023
@planet4589 isn’t it possible to at least require that each satellite in constellation should have space facing optical sensor(camera) for scientific purposes? Whole constellation can than work as optical array for space exploration.
Show threadplanet4589 (Jonathan McDowell)Feb 5, 2023
@igisho That won't be all that useful compared to ground based telescopes. Optical interferometry is hard to do and not the same as having one big telescope