
100s of astronomers warn SpaceX Starlink satellites could block future science - kevmo
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/elon-musk-astronomers-spacex-starlink-satellites-astronomy-a9687901.html
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mensetmanusman
They should think on cosmological time scales, cheap access to space means
cheap access to space telescopes (which in principal can gather less noisy
data)

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maxnoe
Our telescopes (Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes) can only work on Earth as we
use the atmosphere as detector medium.

Space based telescopes can simply not be build large enough no matter how
cheap some tons to LEO will get.

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lostmsu
> Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes can only work on Earth as we use the
> atmosphere as detector medium.

Considering their operating principle, are they actually affected by
satellites?

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maxnoe
Yes, every foreign light source is disturbing.

We measure down to single photons in nanosecond timescales and a mag 3 or
brighter satellite moving through the field of view is definitely not a good
thing.

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mft_
Not to detract from the topic, but this has been covered on HN many times in
the past year or so.

Also, my understanding (from past HN discussions!) is that SpaceX are working
on making their satellites less problematic for astronomers in the long term,
although obvs we’ll have to see how well that the turns out.

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anotheryou
Can someone explain to me how it's a problem?

It's all just data today, isn't it? You can erase the from long time exposures
than. Or does the brightness cause lens flares and stuff?

If it was about hobby astrophotography I'd see it right away :)

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pacamara619
You cannot "delete" something from a long exposure, how would you think that
worked?

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aeternum
You "delete" it by composting multiple images with a mask applied to the
object position. This is done relatively frequently.

The human visual system uses this technique to some extent as your optic nerve
creates a relatively large blind spot in each eye. Even with one eye closed,
your visual system "deletes" this blind spot via image composting from visual
memory or rapid eye movements.

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anotheryou
The human eye deletes even more and you can trick it in to showing! you can
see a network of blood vessels:

[https://youtu.be/L_W-IXqoxHA?t=372](https://youtu.be/L_W-IXqoxHA?t=372)

