Satellites are photobombing Hubble (earthsky.org)

Posted by
Kelly Kizer Whitt
March 5, 2023



Astronomers have been worried about it, and now the data are in. A new study shows that, in recent years, the increasing number of satellites in low-Earth orbit is having deleterious effects on astronomical research. The SpaceX Starlink satellites are the most notorious of these. The study shows the satellites are photobombing Hubble Space Telescope images more often, creating long, bright lines known as satellite trails across Hubble’s images, making them unusable for scientific research.

This new study shows that organizations are spending a growing fraction of their research budgets on costly infrastructures and mitigation efforts.

Sandor Kruk led the new research, which used data through 2021. Since 2021, thousands more satellites have entered low-Earth orbit. Starlink alone added more than 1,500 satellites in 2022, and many new satellites continue to launch monthly.

But Kruk’s team’s research marks the first measurements of artificial satellite contamination on Hubble observations. The team published their research in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Astronomy on March 2, 2023.
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Of the thousands of satellites already in low-Earth orbit, 62% are Starlink satellites. Certainly that means there are other companies and nations filling low-Earth orbit as well. But as she said on Mastodon:

Starlink is absurdly large both numerically and in total mass compared to anything that’s ever been in orbit before.

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A sinking space telescope

When the Hubble Space Telescope launched to space in 1990, it took up residence for its scientific observations at about 380 miles (610 km) above Earth’s surface. But now, 33 years later, its orbit has degraded so that it’s closer to 330 miles (530 km) above Earth. So while it once was above the mass of satellites orbiting Earth, now it orbits just below them.
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more: https://earthsky.org/space/satellites-are-photobombing-hubble-effect-on-research/?utm_source=EarthSky+News