SpaceX Satellite Potentially Fails Astronomers to Detect Earth-threatening Asteroids

KOMPAS.com – SpaceX has launched a lot satelit Starlink from outer space since 2019 to transmit the internet to Earth. In fact, recently the rocket Falcon 9 SpaceX has successfully positioned 49 of its satellites in orbit.

Today, SpaceX is recorded as having launched nearly 1,500 Starlink internet satellites into space. However, the many constellations orbiting Starlink satellites have been criticized by various parties, including astronomers.

They warn that the Starlink satellite has the potential to interfere with the performance of astronomers for detection asteroid which is approaching the Earth.

Also read: SpaceX Launches 105 Small Satellites on Transporter-3 Mission

‘s satellite Elon Musk This, called triggering the streaks in photos obtained from telescopes, could hinder astronomers’ scientific observations of Earth-threatening asteroids.

According to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters On January 17, 2022, astronomers discovered 5,301 satellite streaks in archived photos taken between November 2019 and September 2021.

To measure this effect, the research team used Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) operating at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory, California. The ZTF device then scans the entire night sky every two days and records any phenomena that occur.

The result was found a line in each photo. Astronomers also say that many of the streaks are caused by SpaceX’s Starlink satellite.

The reason is, the majority of satellites appear during observations at dusk, where this time is very important to find asteroids headed towards Earth.

“In 2019, 0.5 per cent of twilight photos were affected (satellite), and now almost 20 per cent are affected,” said study lead author Przemek Mroz. SciTech Daily, Thursday (20/1/2022).

On the other hand, scientists predict that nearly all photos ZTF records at dusk will contain at least one streak, especially once the Starlink constellation reaches 10,000 units.

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