While SpaceX and a few other companies are still planning to add thousands of satellites in the sky, astronomers are starting to become concerned of a possible problem that could hinder their research later on! It is essential to put up an adequate amount of satellites as this may improve Earth's research and other scientific advances but this could potentially create problems for astronomy.
SpaceX Starlink
A famous astronomer and satellite tracker expresses his thoughts
According to Jonathan McDowell who comes from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the abundance of satellites in the sky could block their observation for hazardous asteroids around Earth. SpaceX plans to deploy over 12,000 satellites to low Earth which would orbit over the upcoming years and although the plan is to provide affordable and better internet connection around the world, there is still a downside.
McDowell shared a draft of his new study which took into account the effects of the Starlink broadband service mega-constellation's effects towards different observatories.
According to McDowell in a paper written to Astrophysical Journal Letters, "Astronomers - and casual viewers of the night sky - must expect a future in which the low Earth orbit population includes tens of thousands of relatively large satellites."
McDowell is not the only one
There have already been a number of astronomers as well as astronomical organizations which have expressed their growing concern for the increase of huge satellite constellations regarding Starlink's target to possibly deploy as much as 42,000 satellites over a long period of time and how it would affect their scientific observations of space!
SpaceX has been very active in sending spaceships to space
Right after SpaceX began to launch its satellites back in 2019, the regular skywatchers as well as professional astronomers instantly saw the effect and were even astonished by the trains of bright light in the twilight skies as well as the fields of view for the major telescopes.
The brightness along with the number of satellites not just from SpaceX, but also from their competitors like OneWeb are posing a serious problem for astronomers. The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory located in Chile is expected to experience problems viewing space because of the satellites.
The FFC has already approved of SpaceX
McDowell showed in his model how the effects of having 12,000 satellites out of constellation would be lit by none other than the sun and its effects to earth. According to McDowell, "We see that several hundred satellites are above the horizon at all times of night; during winter twilight, and all summer night long, most of them are illuminated."
Elon musk on the satellites
The FCC has already given a go signal to the amount of satellites to be launched by SpaceX. According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the company will be working along with the astronomers to make sure that Starlink does not have negative effects to astronomy in general.
