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Elon Musk angers astronomers with satellite shower

When many people glanced up on a clear night at the weekend, they may noticed a train of strange bright lights soaring above.

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX. Picture: AFP
Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX. Picture: AFP

When many people glanced up on a clear night at the weekend, they may noticed a train of strange bright lights soaring above.

After much conjecture, the ­illumination, seen throughout Britain, has been identified as the constellation Musk.

Satellites belonging to SpaceX, a company owned by Elon Musk, have heightened a rift between ­astronomers and the billionaire tech entrepreneur. Mr Musk, also chief executive of Tesla, plans thousands of “Starlink” satellites to improve global internet ­coverage.

Only 300 have been launched but he has approval to send 1500 into low orbit as part of a planned constellation of 12,000.

Amazon filed in the US last year for permission to create a network of more than 3000 satellites to boost internet speeds, and ­Virgin Atlantic’s Sir Richard Branson has launched the first six of Virgin’s Oneweb scheme.

The idea is for satellites in low orbit to provide constant, high-speed internet access to developing countries. Selling this to the 3.5 billion people around the world still lacking basic internet access, and becoming a giant telecom­muni­cations company in the process, would prove ­extremely lucrative.

Such a feat, however, may ­affect a view of the night sky, ­astronomers argue.

Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society in Britain, said: “Even if you are somewhere very remote, this will mean that rather than looking at a pristine Milky Way and all the planets, you would have the view interfered with in a similar way to being near a major airport.”

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites in batches of 60 and they are designed to be light and compact so they can set off into orbit in large groups. A batch was launched in mid-March with another scheduled for Friday AEST.

James Geach, a professor at the Centre for Astrophysics Research at the University of Hertfordshire, said that the weekend’s sighting was so noticeable as a train ­because the satellites are making their way to their final, higher altitude orbits. “As more and more of these satellites go up, our ability to clearly observe the night sky will be ­severely impacted,” he said.

“The satellite trails will appear in deep images of the universe that we use for science. I am extremely concerned by this. There is massive concern among the astrophysics community.”

Comedian and keen astronomer Dara O Briain was one of those who took to Twitter to ­express dismay. “There goes the night sky,” he said.

SpaceX has been listening to the concerns of scientists, Dr Massey said. The company has started to coat the satellites with dark paint and is looking at other ways to make them less bright.

There is no global treaty to control what is put into orbit. ­Although some countries have regulations, none are concerned with visual pollution.

“The scientific issue is how this affects professional observatories that are monitoring the night sky and asking those bigger questions about the universe we live in,” Dr Massey said:

THE TIMES

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/elon-musk-angers-astronomers-with-satellite-shower/news-story/86712ee8f423d8693da889ea46e53ff3