The big, next-generation communications satellite BlueWalker 3 has turn out to be one among the brightest objects visible within the night sky, in line with latest research published today within the journal .
While BlueWalker 3 is groundbreaking for its ability to essentially turn bizarre smartphones into satellite phones, it may additionally usher in a brand new generation of satellites that create far more light pollution than their older, smaller predecessors. Rapidly growing mega-constellations of web satellites are already mucking up researchers’ observations of worlds beyond Earth. BlueWalker 3 is the brightest satellite in low Earth orbit yet, and astronomers fear it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“If it does turn out to be a difficulty, then it’s going to completely change the night sky.”
“Let’s nip it within the bud now before it does turn out to be a difficulty. If it does turn out to be a difficulty, then it’s going to completely change the night sky,” says Jeremy Tregloan-Reed, one among the authors of the brand new paper and an astronomer and assistant professor on the Universidad de Atacama in Chile.
BlueWalker 3 is about as vibrant because the eighth brightest star visible from Earth, Procyon, in line with the brand new research. Only the Moon, Jupiter, Venus, and 7 stars in our night sky are brighter than BlueWalker 3. That’s based on observations by skilled and amateur astronomers from Chile, the US, Mexico, Latest Zealand, the Netherlands, and Morocco.
Typically, the larger the satellite, the brighter it’s because there’s more surface area to reflect light. BlueWalker 3 is by far the brightest satellite within the sky due to its size, with a 64-square-meter (693 square feet) array. It’s the most important business communications array in low Earth orbit, however it may not be for long because it’s only a prototype for a constellation of even larger satellites being developed by AST SpaceMobile and backed by AT&T.
Satellite trails can photobomb telescopic observations. Vivid, star-like objects flying across the sky will make it tougher to indicate the constellations, Tregloan-Reed says. It also increases the sky background glow, which then makes it much harder to see nebulas, dust clouds, and finer details within the night sky.
A brighter night sky poses problems for wildlife, like birds who navigate by starlight. And over history, our view of the celebs has also had incalculable cultural and spiritual value. But with light pollution growing at the speed it’s now, a baby born in a spot where 250 stars are visible at night might only give you the option to see 100 by the point they’re 18 years old, previous research has found.
Earlier this 12 months, BlueWalker 3 became the primary satellite to successfully route an audio call between two unmodified smartphones without the necessity for cell towers. Working in a rural a part of Chile, Tregloan-Reed says he understands the positive impact futuristic satellites like BlueWalker 3 can have on improving web access and communication for a lot of parts of the world that struggle with it now. He hopes that his work will spur the industry and consumers to support technologies that minimize light pollution.
Corporations might tweak their designs to reflect less light, for example. And in the longer term, regulators might require an assessment of a satellite’s impact on the night sky as a part of the authorization process before launch.