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Parallel sessions
Sessions
id
date time
2022-03-08 11:41:00
Satellite constellations and their impact on astronomy: a growing issue
SDA2
The unprecedented deployment of large satellite constellations in low Earth orbit has a significant impact on optical and radio astronomy, and on both ground- and space-based observatories. This session will explore the effect of satellites, the response from the astronomical community, governments, international organisations and industry. Since 2019 we have seen a paradigm shift in the commercial use of space, and the deployment of communications satellites in low Earth orbit (below an altitude of 2,000 km) on an unprecedented scale. At the time of writing (December 2021) SpaceX has 1844 satellites in orbit and the part-UK owned OneWeb has 358. By the end of the decade there could be 100,000 or more satellites in this region of space, with even that number a small fraction of those requested in licence applications. The astronomical community in the UK and around the world now has a significant body of published work highlighting the impact of large satellite constellations. The effect on optical observations is particularly important for widefield survey telescopes, with instruments like the Vera Rubin Observatory set to have up to two fifths of its images affected, and for scientists attempting to observe transient phenomena, such as the optical counterparts to gamma ray bursts and meteor showers. For radio astronomy, observers will be dealing with downlink signals that are trillions of times more powerful than remote astronomical sources. Unlike other forms of interference and light pollution, satellites in the new constellations are visible everywhere in the world, compromising astronomy in even the most remote locations chosen to avoid artificial light and radio signals. Beyond professional astronomy the voice of the amateur astronomical community and the wider public have so far rarely been heard on this issue. The "ownership" of the night sky is seen by many as a cultural heritage issue. In this session we will cover these topics, and structure the programme around them: the observed impact of satellites at optical and radio wavelengths; Recommended mitigation measures by satellite operators from an industry and academic perspective; Policy responses in the UK, Europe and UN, including the work of the new IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference; The cultural ownership of the night sky and how this can be protected.
Martin Barstow, Simon Garrington, Caroline Harper, Colin Vincent, Robert Massey
Wed. 09:00-10:30 / Wed. 16:30-18:00
09.00-09.20 Federico Di Vruno: The IAU centre for the protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from satellite constellation interference [invited]
09.20-09.30 Klaas Wiersema: High-cadence optical polarimetry of satellites: towards a quantitative tool
09.30-09.40 Mike Peel: The impact of satellite constellations on Cosmic Microwave Background experiments
09.40-09.50 James Osborn: Mitigating the detrimental effects of satellites in optical astronomy using Astrosat
09.50-10.00 Michał Michałowski: Revising distance by 20 orders of magnitude: the most distant gamma-ray burst or a satellite?
10.00-10.20 James Loveder: Overview of HM Government's activities to ensure space remains sustainable for all [invited
10.20-10.30 Robert Massey: Discussion
16.30-16.50 Steven Dillmann: Impact of Mega-Constellation Satellite Trails on Hubble Space Telescope Observations with Machine Learning [invited]
16.50-17.00 Nikita Shamsundar Bhakare: How Satellite [SatCon] Light Pollution is responsible for Human Health Concerns: The Inter-Relationship with Astronomy and Targeting Sustainability.
17.00-17.10 Christopher James Baddiley: Increasing satellite constellation crossing rates affecting amateur astronomer's projects.
17.10-17.20 Martin Coleman: LEO Radio Frequency Interference Monitoring Project - more S3A than just RFI!
17.20-17.40 Don Pollacco: Living with the constellations - the high speed universe [invited]