https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Echo

Andi
June 5, 2019 at 6:52 am

Some poems will have to be rewritten…

I have written a fair number of poems on the subject and it looks like I need to expand the breadth of my musings.

The IAU, after failing to restrict the number of shooting stars that currently interfere with their observations, is now going after satellites, because they don’t have to appeal to a major deity, just the world’s governments. Which, come to think of it, consider themselves to be major deities.

M Puckett suggested: “I have a solution for the IAU. Become more nocturnal.”

This does not solve the existing problem of satellites in medium and high orbits. Geostationary satellites also limit viewing for certain regions of the sky for each Earthbound telescope. Spacecraft already fill the sky, so it seems to me that the IAU is complaining about an already-closed (or should I say opaque?) window.

From the article: “The visible light isn’t the only problem: the satellites use radio signals to communicate, which could interfere with observations in those frequencies. ‘Recent advances in radio astronomy, such as producing the first image of a black hole… were only possible through concerted efforts in safeguarding the radio sky from interference,’ the IAU statement says. Too many satellites emitting radio waves could endanger future studies.”

The radio spectrum has always been a major big deal for everyone.

Satellite operators are already having difficulty with the limited bands that they have been allowed, trying to pack in more than fits. Most of the radio spectrum is set aside for non-space based radio traffic. Only a limited amount of the spectrum is used by spacecraft, and since spacecraft already fill the sky, it seems to me that the IAU is complaining about another already-closed window.

The reality is that radio astronomy has only a few narrow bands that are free of man-made radio noise. I agree that they should be listening to a more complete spectrum, but this has always been difficult. The solution has long been to place radio telescopes on the far side of the Moon, but no one has championed that. Now that the Chinese are starting to broadcast there, this window is beginning to close for the radio astronomers.

I have a solution for the IAU. Become more nocturnal.

“Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Oh heck, it’s just a satellite!”

It’s a well-known fact that snipes navigate to their feeding grounds at dusk and dawn using 5th magnitude or dimmer stars. Or, at least I was told so during my last snipe hunt.

“…for the protection of nocturnal wildlife. We do not yet understand the impact of thousands of these visible satellites scattered across the night sky and despite their good intentions, these satellite constellations may threaten ….”

A lot of space nerds tend to denigrate human history and culturally significant objects, like the Moon. There is a lot of hubris and small minded thinking. The universe is a big place and our activities in space should not just be thought of in the short term of a decade or even a human lifespan but in centuries and millennia because that is the short term timescale as humans step out into space.

Astronomers are upset that they would have to make telescopes in other parts of the solar system. Why? It is an amazing opportunity.

When the 2nd Falcon heavy launched a few months ago I gave this topic some consideration and found that an 8 meter mirror from the Univ of AZ mirror lab only weighs about 25,000 lbs., less than 1/5 of the SpaceX super heavy payload rating, and that will have a 9 meter fairing. So let’s loft a few of these up to replace Hubble and keep the great science going!