Twilight observations are being impacted by the tracks left by Starlink satellites.
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 | Chimniii Desk
Key Highlights
- A new batch of Starlink satellites launched today by SpaceX, led by Elon Musk.
- The next 49 satellites will join the growing constellation of more than 1,800 Starlink satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LOE) to deliver broadband internet connectivity, particularly.. There is still a long queue of launches for SpaceX's 12,000-satellite Starlink constellation.
- According to a report by ArsTechnica, the tracks left by Starlink satellites can be seen in photographs taken by a survey telescope.
- It could be difficult to hunt for comets and asteroids if twilight observations are disrupted.
- Although SpaceX has received approval for 12,000 Starlink satellites, the company's long-term goal is to have 40,000 satellites in orbit.
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A new batch of Starlink satellites launched today by SpaceX, led by Elon Musk. The next 49 satellites will join the growing constellation of more than 1,800 Starlink satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LOE) to deliver broadband internet connectivity, particularly. There is still a long queue of launches for SpaceX's 12,000-satellite Starlink constellation.
Increasing interest in and funding for space activities by private as well as public groups has raised concerns about space being overcrowded. According to a report by ArsTechnica, the tracks left by Starlink satellites can be seen in photographs taken by a survey telescope.
Palomar Observatory's ZTF (Zwicky Transient Facility). It's a time-domain survey that, according to the California Institute of Technology, hunts for unusual and exotic transients and scans more than 3750 square degrees an hour at a depth of 20.5 mag. Almost 300 observations are made each year using this telescope, which has been observing the northern hemisphere for years.
With a 47-square-degree field of view, the ZTF's camera frequently captures a Starlink satellite in its images. At least 10 days would pass before any Starlink satellites were spotted between November 2019 and September 2021, according to data gathered between those dates. Over 1,500 satellites would be captured by the ZTF in a 10-day period, though.
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A Result of
Because of the Starlink satellites' dazzling appearance at night, twilight observations were affected. Around 6% of twilight photographs in late 2020 were damaged, but by late 2021 this had risen to 18%. There had been some criticism of the astronomy community, therefore SpaceX added visors to the latter batch of Starlink satellites, however this did not accomplish its stated goal.
It could be difficult to hunt for comets and asteroids if twilight observations are disrupted. An observatory's software identifies satellite tracks, so they have no effect on observations. Because of this, there is a very low risk (0.04 percent) that you will miss a rare event.
Although SpaceX has received approval for 12,000 Starlink satellites, the company's long-term goal is to have 40,000 satellites in orbit. Further satellite launches by other firms enhance the likelihood of this problem occurring.
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