Light Pollution Caused by Satellites Threatens Dark and Quiet Night Sky
Light Pollution Caused by Satellites Threatens Dark and Quiet Night Sky
  • Reporter Yim O-Jung
  • 승인 2022.03.29 02:57
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▲Space objects on Earths orbit / The Science Times
▲Space objects on Earths orbit / The Science Times

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), there are more than 9,200 tons of space objects in orbit around the earth. Scientists reported that they are becoming an increasing threat to astronomy. Research published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters found that objects that orbit earth elevate the brightness of the night sky by at least 10% over natural light levels. Since this increase in brightness causes great inconvenience to astronomical research through telescopes, astronomers are working to come up with countermeasures.
On Feb. 2, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) established the Center for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference. The center will be run by the SKA Observatory (SKAO), an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in the United Kingdom, and the U.S. National Science Foundation’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab). The center aims to bring together the astronomical community with the mega constellation operators and regulators to help find solutions to protect ground-based astronomy as the number of satellites grows.
Unfortunately, experts predict that the problem of space object pollution from space objects will be greater. “In the past, the main source of interference was the light pollution produced by urban illumination, the so-called artificial light at night.” said Piero Benvenuti, former IAU General Secretary and the center’s director, speaking at a press briefing. “But more recently, the impact of the large constellations of communication satellites has become a more serious concern because of their ubiquitous invasiveness.” In the past, observation facilities could be moved to Chile or Australia, far from the city center, to solve the problem of light pollution, but now more fundamental solutions are needed because all places are affected by constellations.
The center will find technological and software solutions that can best cope with interference. It will also seek ways to advise satellite operators on how to make satellites invisible (optical and radio waves) to all observers of the night sky as much as possible. Another task is to make politicians and the general public aware of the current and growing problem of night sky pollution and the need for protection measures.