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louis

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2008-03-24

Posts: 7,208

Starlink - astronomers complain !

It never rains but it pours...now Starlink is under attack from astronomers for blocking their view of the stars....says "The Sun"...

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/10384295/ … iew-stars/

I suspect it's only a temporary thing...but this is a flavour of the attacks that will be launched on Mars colonisation in due course I think.

Last edited by louis (2019-11-21 07:18:42)

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elderflower

Member

Registered: 2016-06-19

Posts: 1,262

Re: Starlink - astronomers complain !

In my opinion the Sun will say anything that it thinks will sell newspapers. I think it (and other similar papers) make up a headline knocking something, then go out and find some disgruntled expert whose words can be interpreted as supporting the initial thesis. Take all newspaper reports with a pinch of salt!

louis

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2008-03-24

Posts: 7,208

Re: Starlink - astronomers complain !

The Sun is associated with Murdoch who is associated with satellite TV...so maybe there is a clash of interests. I guess if you can have internet from the Sky you can have internet TV from the Sky, rather than dedicated satellites carrying a few over-priced subscription channels.

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SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,428

Re: Starlink - astronomers complain !

The article did show up on more repretable websites with the stated issue for astronomy clutter looking outward from earth and from orbit.
That just means we need to start putting the telescopes further out such as on the moons dark side.

Terraformer

Member

From: The Fortunate Isles

Registered: 2007-08-27

Posts: 3,901

Website

Re: Starlink - astronomers complain !

He should mollify them by promising to launch a few dozen space telescopes, if they're provided to SpaceX.

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Use what is abundant and build to last

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,428

Re: Starlink - astronomers complain !

Part of the problem for Nasa's astronomy telescopes currently is they are building the big flagship cost units that push the edge of technolgy while trying to peer deeper back in time towards the big bank, but was that the start or have we had multiple starts already.

louis

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2008-03-24

Posts: 7,208

Re: Starlink - astronomers complain !

Some more info on the Starlink visibility issue - plus the scope for more collisions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaKD05FUvo8

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JMartin

InActive

Registered: 2020-10-14

Posts: 15

Re: Starlink - astronomers complain !

Elon Musk and SpaceX seem like they're doing a lot more to get humanity out into space than the astronomers, and SpaceX needs funding from Starlink to make the Mars mission more likely.

I like astronomy, I think it's worthwhile, and I support it... but making humanity multiplanetary should be a higher priority right now. In the long term, astronomy itself would be better served by humanity being multiplanetary.  Imagine the benefits to astronomy from having a colony on Mars or on the Moon that could construct space telescopes and launch them into space more cheaply than we could on Earth because of the lower gravity...

Instead of complaining about SpaceX, the astronomers should be advocating for more NASA funding or something to address their problems.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,428

Re: Starlink - astronomers complain !

Welcome to NewMars JMartin, of course these satelites are high in orbit and lots of them as to why there is concern by astronomers even with the changing of the surface colors to try to blend in its still going to obscure some stars at some point.