Beep4d ago

A million new SpaceX satellites will destroy the night sky — for everyone on Earth

https://lemmus.org/post/21093378

Show threadAsafum4d ago
It’s so infuriating… I occasionally do astrophotography and it’s getting to the point where any long exposure just has satellite streaks everywhere… Fuck Musk.
Show threadyucandu4d ago

I remember just 10 years ago using a special app on my phone to alert me of any potential satellite flares so I could run out and catch them.

Now I can’t look at the night sky for 2 minutes without seeing one.

Show threadLink
For the uneducated, what do these look like and can you see them in areas with light pollution?
Mar 25 at 6:28pmWeb
Show threadCethin4d ago
If you look towards the horizon with the sun, a little before sunrise or after sunset, you’ll probably be able to see flashes of them as they catch the light.
Show threadcecilkorik4d ago

Yes. They are technically reflected sunlight, so they are as bright as the sun, just very small. It makes sense you can see them during sunlight, since they are reflections of sunlight. You will typically only see them on the side of the sky opposite the sun, but the exact angle depends on the location and orientation of the satellite and the surface that is actually doing the reflection.

Generally speaking, they are dots that fade in somewhat gradually, moving at a consistent pace (typically slower than a shooting star, but faster than an airplane at cruising altitude) in a straight line direction for awhile at full brightness, then fading away.

Show threadyucandu4d ago
To me, they look exactly like all the other stars in the sky, except they move, a bit slower than a plane, and they don’t blink.