2023-10-06 20:30:02
News JVTech Astronomers confirm one of their biggest fears: the BlueWalker 3 satellite is one of the brightest objects in the night sky
Published on 06/10/2023 at 22:30
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AST Space Mobile’s BlueWalker 3 is a new generation of satellite that is particularly promising technologically, but which also worries scientists…
The growing number of satellites causes significant light pollution in space
For several years, astronomers have been warning regarding the growing number of satellites orbiting the Earth.. More than three years ago, hundreds of these experts declared following a meeting that devices in the Starlink constellation risked hindering scientific discoveries. In response to these concerns from the scientific community, Elon Musk has taken steps to reduce reflection from his satellites.
However, these concerns reached a new level just over a year ago when AST SpaceMobile has launched Bluewalker 3 into orbit, a gigantic satellite weighing 1,500 kilograms and stretching to a length of 64 meters. This satellite was intended to serve as the foundation for a new communications platform by providing 4G and 5G internet access to mobile phones without the need for any ground equipment. Astronomers already anticipated that it might become easily observable because of its strong luminosity.
Something that astronomers recently confirmed: BlueWalker 3 has become one of the most dazzling objects in the night sky. This revelation has renewed experts’ concern regarding the exponential growth of satellites orbiting the Earth.
The impact of the BlueWalker 3 satellite on Astronomy
BlueWalker 3 is now ranked among the brightest objects of the night, nearly rivaling the eighth brightest star seen from Earth. Additionally, BlueWalker 3 is now located just behind the Moon, Jupiter, Venus and seven other stars in terms of brightness, creating new obstacles for astronomers. In addition to light pollution, putting such satellites into orbit affects radio astronomy. The radio signal emitted by the BlueWalker 3 can mislead the measurements of scientific devices.
The concerns with BlueWalker 3 don’t end there. AST SpaceMobile plans to deploy nearly a hundred similar satellites, some of which might be twice as large as the current one. Jeremy Tregloan-Reed, one of the study’s authors, warns that the proliferation of satellites might significantly disrupt the night sky, compromising the quality of astronomical observations. The trails left by these satellites risk hindering telescope observations and complicating the study of nebulae.
Currently, 18 satellite constellations are under development, with well-known names such as Starlink, Amazon Kuiper and OneWeb. Additionally, experts such as astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics predict that over the next decade, Earth might host up to 100,000 satellites in orbit.
To address this situation, voices within the scientific community, such as Meredith Rawls of the IAU Dark Sky Protection Center, have advocated for a comprehensive approach to solving this growing problem. On the one hand, satellite manufacturers must continue their efforts to reduce the reflectivity of their spacecraft. On the other hand, astronomers must also explore ways to improve their observation methods in order to counter the interference caused by the proliferation of satellites. Close cooperation between players in the space industry and astronomy is essential to preserve our ability to explore and understand the universe through our telescopes.
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