Jakarta –
Satellite a giant new light built to connect directly to a cell phone on Earth, giving off a brighter glow than most stars in the night sky. These conditions interfere with the work of astronomers and human views of the universe.
Intrusive orbiting objects include AST SpaceMobile’s Bluewalker 3, which launched Sept. 10. This 64 square meter array of solar panels and antennas was fully expanded earlier this month.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is coordinating observations around the Earth, and the result is that the satellite is nearly as bright as stars like Antares and Spica.
Note that Antares and Spica are the 15th and 16th brightest stars in the night sky, respectively. Another study found that the presence of satellites made Antares and Spica less reflective. Its position is now equivalent to the 22nd brightest star or more.
It’s not just Bluewalker 3 that worries astronomers. Indeed, Bluewalker 3 serves as a test model for more than 100 constellations called Bluebirds that will be launched as part of plans to build a satellite network to provide 5G connectivity from space.
“BlueWalker 3 is a sea change in the constellation satellite problem and should give us all a reason to stop,” said Piero Benvenuti, director of the IAU’s Center for the Protection of Dark and Quiet Sky from Constellation Satellite Interference . cnet.
Additionally, astronomers are concerned about the potential impact of a mega-constellation of thousands satellite such as Starlink SpaceX. But the IAU said SpaceMobile’s AST plans presented a new problem because the strong radio waves they would emit could interfere with astronomical observations.
Philip Diamond, who directs the Square Kilometer Array Observatory in South Africa and Australia, is concerned that orbiting “cell towers” aren’t subject to quiet-zone restrictions that protect radio astronomers from interference from terrestrial cellular networks.
“Astronomers are building radio telescopes as far away from human activity as possible, looking for places on the planet where cell phone coverage is limited or non-existent,” said Diamond.
“Satellite New innovations like BlueWalker 3 have the potential to exacerbate this situation and compromise our ability to conduct scientific research if not properly mitigated,” he added.
The IAU noted that it has entered talks with AST SpaceMobile on potential mitigation measures.
“We are actively working with industry experts on the latest innovations, including next-generation anti-reflection materials,” said an AST SpaceMobile spokesperson.
They added that the company is committed to avoiding the proximity of the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) in the United States and other unrecognized radio astronomy sites, as required or required.
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