One of my million meetings yesterday was the space debris subcommittee of the AAS Committee on the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment (yeah, it's a long name). But the very very best part of that meeting is always getting the orbital traffic report from Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy
He has been writing Jonathan's Space Report for decades with details on what has launched and reentered and what is happening in orbit around Earth. https://planet4589.org/space/jsr/jsr.html
Jonathan's traffic report for yesterday included the 35 days since our previous subcommittee meeting. A few highlights:
There were 42 launches in the last 35 days, 16 of which were Starlink.
There were 617 new objects catalogued in orbit, 455 of them Starlinks (all V2 "mini", which are like 800kg, scares me that they consider that "mini"). The next largest batch addition after Starlink was 32 of China's Guowang megaconstellation.
One of my million meetings yesterday was the space debris subcommittee of the AAS Committee on the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment (yeah, it's a long name). But the very very best part of that meeting is always getting the orbital traffic report from Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy
He has been writing Jonathan's Space Report for decades with details on what has launched and reentered and what is happening in orbit around Earth. https://planet4589.org/space/jsr/jsr.html
WHAT is even happening with the weather today yikes
When I went out to the barn just now it looked like spring thaw. It's +2C, there are giant puddles, and in a lot of places (like the entire driveway) there's a layer of water on top of ice. It's about to drop back to way below freezing and then we're supposed to get 15 cm of snow tomorrow.
Wheeeeee
Oh apparently this awful mess happening today is called an "Alberta Clipper"
Which invites the age-old Canadian joke I've shared way too many times: Why is it so windy in Saskatchewan?
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Because Alberta blows and Manitoba sucks!
WHAT is even happening with the weather today yikes
When I went out to the barn just now it looked like spring thaw. It's +2C, there are giant puddles, and in a lot of places (like the entire driveway) there's a layer of water on top of ice. It's about to drop back to way below freezing and then we're supposed to get 15 cm of snow tomorrow.
Wheeeeee
What is "Meltwater" and why do they think I'm a journalist and want me to join them? (I'm almost certainly not joining something like this, even if it's not a scam, just curious if anybody knows more about them than their confusing Wikipedia article)
I need to stop staring at my screen, that was WAY too much Zoom today. But first, have some goats snuggling with their llama buddy.
Today I have nearly continuous Zoom meetings from 9am-5pm, and my job during every single one of those meetings is to effectively yell/complain/inform about Starlink or Reflect Orbital. Achievement unlocked, I guess.
But the best part of the whole day is going to be the very last meeting (which I'll be completely exhausted for, but whatever): an astronomy light-pollution committee book club chat with Wesleyan professor Mary-Jane Rubenstein about her book Astrotopia! That will get me through the day
https://www.maryjanerubenstein.com/
Today I have nearly continuous Zoom meetings from 9am-5pm, and my job during every single one of those meetings is to effectively yell/complain/inform about Starlink or Reflect Orbital. Achievement unlocked, I guess.
8pm interview about the CRASH Clock. It is completely chaos in my home office, and I'm wearing a well-worn farm hoodie, and that's just how this is going to be! Might be a camera-off interview...
Pretty sunset dog walk. It's still cold, but not nearly as cold as yesterday.
Prof. Sam Lawler