6 ms·

100s of astronomers warn SpaceX Starlink satellites could block future science

26 points by kevmo 6y ago

mft_ 6y ago
Not to detract from the topic, but this has been covered on HN many times in the past year or so. Also, my understanding (from past HN discussions!) is that SpaceX are working on making their satellites less problematic for astronomers in the long term, although obvs we’ll have to see how well that the turns out.
mensetmanusman 6y ago
They should think on cosmological time scales, cheap access to space means cheap access to space telescopes (which in principal can gather less noisy data)
- maxnoe 6y ago
  Our telescopes (Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes) can only work on Earth as we use the atmosphere as detector medium. Space based telescopes can simply not be build large enough no matter how cheap some tons to LEO will get.
  - aeternum 6y ago
    Does Earth have the optimal atmosphere for this technique? How about putting telescopes on other planets with atmosphere?
  - lostmsu 6y ago
    > Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes can only work on Earth as we use the atmosphere as detector medium. Considering their operating principle, are they actually affected by satellites?
    - maxnoe 6y ago
      Yes, every foreign light source is disturbing. We measure down to single photons in nanosecond timescales and a mag 3 or brighter satellite moving through the field of view is definitely not a good thing.
anotheryou 6y ago
Can someone explain to me how it's a problem? It's all just data today, isn't it? You can erase the from long time exposures than. Or does the brightness cause lens flares and stuff? If it was about hobby astrophotography I'd see it right away :)
- pacamara619 6y ago
  You cannot "delete" something from a long exposure, how would you think that worked?
  - aeternum 6y ago
    You "delete" it by composting multiple images with a mask applied to the object position. This is done relatively frequently. The human visual system uses this technique to some extent as your optic nerve creates a relatively large blind spot in each eye. Even with one eye closed, your visual system "deletes" this blind spot via image composting from visual memory or rapid eye movements.
    - anotheryou 6y ago
      The human eye deletes even more and you can trick it in to showing! you can see a network of blood vessels: https://youtu.be/L_W-IXqoxHA?t=372 https://youtu.be/L_W-IXqoxHA?t=372

26 points by kevmo 6y ago

mft_ 6y ago

Not to detract from the topic, but this has been covered on HN many times in the past year or so. Also, my understanding (from past HN discussions!) is that SpaceX are working on making their satellites less problematic for astronomers in the long term, although obvs we’ll have to see how well that the turns out.

mensetmanusman 6y ago

They should think on cosmological time scales, cheap access to space means cheap access to space telescopes (which in principal can gather less noisy data)

maxnoe 6y ago
Our telescopes (Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes) can only work on Earth as we use the atmosphere as detector medium. Space based telescopes can simply not be build large enough no matter how cheap some tons to LEO will get.
- aeternum 6y ago
  Does Earth have the optimal atmosphere for this technique? How about putting telescopes on other planets with atmosphere?
- lostmsu 6y ago
  > Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes can only work on Earth as we use the atmosphere as detector medium. Considering their operating principle, are they actually affected by satellites?
  - maxnoe 6y ago
    Yes, every foreign light source is disturbing. We measure down to single photons in nanosecond timescales and a mag 3 or brighter satellite moving through the field of view is definitely not a good thing.

anotheryou 6y ago

Can someone explain to me how it's a problem? It's all just data today, isn't it? You can erase the from long time exposures than. Or does the brightness cause lens flares and stuff? If it was about hobby astrophotography I'd see it right away :)

pacamara619 6y ago
You cannot "delete" something from a long exposure, how would you think that worked?
- aeternum 6y ago
  You "delete" it by composting multiple images with a mask applied to the object position. This is done relatively frequently. The human visual system uses this technique to some extent as your optic nerve creates a relatively large blind spot in each eye. Even with one eye closed, your visual system "deletes" this blind spot via image composting from visual memory or rapid eye movements.
  - anotheryou 6y ago
    The human eye deletes even more and you can trick it in to showing! you can see a network of blood vessels: https://youtu.be/L_W-IXqoxHA?t=372 https://youtu.be/L_W-IXqoxHA?t=372