Astronomers Join Forces to Prevent Starlink, Satellite Swarms From Polluting Skies
The astronomical community is setting up a center to work with companies and governments on preventing satellite networks, including SpaceX’s Starlink, from polluting the night sky.
The effort comes from the International Astronomical Union, which is made up of 12,000 members across the globe. On Thursday, the union announced a new “IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference.”
The center was created out of concern that next-generation satellite networks will one day interfere with astronomical observations. SpaceX’s Starlink, for example, is designed to deliver high-speed broadband to millions of users across the planet. But to do so, the company needs to launch tens of thousands of satellites into orbit, which risk causing streaks across the night sky. Other companies, including Amazon, have proposed large constellations too.
The streaks won't just photo-bomb astronomy images; they could also disrupt scientific observations, including of near-Earth asteroids, the IAU said in a press briefing on Thursday.
“Astronomy is facing a watershed moment of increasing interference with observations and loss of science,” said Connie Walker, a scientist at the NOIRLab, an astronomy research lab. “At the moment there is little to no regulation in space with respect to optical astronomy,” she added.
However, the IAU's new center isn’t necessarily trying to stop the satellites from launching. Instead, the effort is about “mitigating” the negative effects from the upcoming constellations as companies develop them. The IAU also emphasized the center is focused on taking a “cooperative approach” with the satellite industry.
According to Walker, the IAU has already established
Read more on pcmag.com
