Mastodawn

Prof. Sam Lawler

I blew off a LOT of emails while at the Canadian Astronomical Society meeting last week! And I have almost dug myself out of that email pile (well, as good as that ever gets).

There was one email I almost blew off during the meeting because I assumed it was an astronomer asking for a visualization of future satellites. But it was actually someone from CNN(!!) asking! Oops.

Prof. Sam Lawler 5d ago

After some back-and-forth trying to understand exactly what they were asking for NOW NOW NOW, @hannorein made exactly what they were looking for.

Please enjoy(?) this horrifying visualization of how many Starlink sats are in orbit right now, and how many SpaceX has asked for in the future https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfOgp9gp2hA

Alt-text for video in link: the Earth getting gradually surrounded by a grid of more and more orbiting satellites, until the million data centre plan completely hides Earth.

Current and future megaconstellations.

YouTube

Prof. Sam Lawler 5d ago

If you use Apple devices, @hannorein built a free app you can get to make visualizations like this yourself https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mega-constellations/id1598820453

Does anybody think this many satellites is a good idea? Besides That One Awful Billionaire?

Mega Constellations App - App Store

Download Mega Constellations by Hanno Rein on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more apps like Mega Constellations.

App Store

MacCruiskeen 5d ago

@sundogplanets @hannorein Also, that Other Awful Billionaire. And their friend, the Other, Other Awful Billionaire.

jon saenz 5d ago

@maccruiskeen @sundogplanets @hannorein for them, it is a good idea, in order to get even more wealthy.

@maccruiskeen @sundogplanets @hannorein

And the trillionaire. /sorry

@maccruiskeen @sundogplanets @hannorein These people have names and addresses.....

@sundogplanets @hannorein I heard your lecture when you were down here in Aotearoa, this really shows just how close we are to losing LEO and the weather forecasting and navigation that goes with it

Arena Cops 🇺🇦✌5d ago

@sundogplanets @hannorein You mean that orbit-polluting psychopathic megalomaniacal white supremacist trillionaire, who's funding Putin's rightwing populiars worldwide? 🤔😎💪🇺🇸✌

The Eddie Show 📷🎧❤️5d ago

@sundogplanets @hannorein

Is it just me, or does anyone think these satellites are secretly weaponized?

@TheEddieShow Not just you.

@sundogplanets @hannorein

Schamschula 5d ago

@sundogplanets @hannorein These mega-constellations make such a difference! I have used an old animation as part of my Physical Science and Astronomy classes. It only shows the classical science/national security satellites along with the ring of those on a geostationary orbit. Time to download the App to my teaching MBP.

Miah Johnson 5d ago

@sundogplanets @hannorein last night I was sitting on the shore of White Lake with friends. It was beautifully dark and the stars were all visible. We all couldn't help but notice how many satellites we saw and we were discussing how different the sky was from when we were kids and how it would never be like that ever again. Every moment we stared at the stars we'd spot another satellite, dozens and dozens over the 2 hours we sat there talking and watching.

Miah Johnson 5d ago

@sundogplanets @hannorein another thing we noticed was that the satellites defined a sky limit for us. Without the satellites we couldn't see the edge of our planets sky, we just saw darkness and stars, but now we could almost see the invisible sphere of sky surrounding our home as so many satellites orbited.

@sundogplanets @hannorein this...this is supervillain stuff

AkaSci 🛰️5d ago

@sundogplanets @hannorein

This website is also useful for seeing current satellites.
https://satellitetracker3d.com/track?norad-id=45187

Satellite Tracker 3D

Real-time 3D tracking of satellites

Satellite Tracker 3D

Farhan Ahmed 5d ago

@AkaSci there’s also this one https://leolabs.space/

Home - LeoLabs | Persistent Orbital Intelligence

LeoLabs delivers the Orbital Intelligence operators need to detect, track, characterize, and respond to threats in space.

LeoLabs | Persistent Orbital Intelligence

@sundogplanets @hannorein How do they think they'll get the last of these satellites up there considering there will be no place to launch them to without hitting other satellites? Like, I'm not up on my astronomy, but doesn't there have to be space to launch the satellites and get the rocket down without hitting currently in orbit satellites?