SpaceX's satellite constellation along with others is troubling astronomers, say experts

As the number of satellites in the low-Earth orbit (LEO) continues to grow, experts have said that a constellation of these orbiting bodies has surpassed light pollution as the biggest roadblock to astronomy. It is no secret, that many companies such as SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon Kuiper are gradually occupying the LEO which apart from being a hindrance to astronomy is multiplying the threats of space debris. It is worth noting that Elon Musk's SpaceX has launched 2,000 satellites so far out of the 42,000 planned ones for the Starlink constellation. 

IAU launches centre to tackle the problem

Scientists are facing a problem with astronomy as the satellites in a constellation are leaving streaks of light in the images being captured during scientific observations. In order to tackle this problem, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has launched the Center for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference. According to a report by Daily Mail, the UK-based Square Kilometer Array Observatory organization (SKAO) and the US National Science Foundation's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab) will jointly run this centre. 

This centre has reportedly been launched to bring together astronomers, mega constellation operators, and regulators to find solutions regarding reducing the impacts satellites have on astronomy. Piero Benvenuti, IAU General Secretary and director of the new centre said as per Daily Mail,

In the past, the main source of interference was light pollution by urban illumination, the so-called artificial light at night. But more recently, the impact of the large constellations of communication satellites became a more serious concern because of their ubiquitous invasiveness.

Connie Walker, a scientist at NOIRLab said that over 5,000 satellites will be above the horizon at any given time before the end of 2030. He added that many of these satellites would be illuminated by the sun, in turn causing problems for astronomers as they would be detected by even the smallest optical and infrared telescopes. 

Apart from SpaceX, OneWeb is also looking to develop its own constellation of satellites besides China, which has planned a constellation of 13,000 satellites, Daily Mail reported. While SpaceX places its satellites approximately 560 kilometres above Earth, OneWeb plans to install its satellites at approximately 1,200 kilometres.

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