RE: https://mastodon.social/@sundogplanets/115748537218476769
Here's a nice, angry op-ed I got invited to write for Nature about AST SpaceMobile's first stupidly bright satellite a couple years ago: https://rdcu.be/drQOU
And just a reminder, if you're half as pissed off about stupidly bright satellites as I am, DarkSky International has an open letter to Reflect Orbital and their investors that you can sign here:
Are direct-to-cell satellite connections useful? Yes. Are the benefits for a small handful of people who can afford access to those satellites worth the increased collision risks in orbit, the atmospheric pollution from launching and reentering all of them, the ground casualty risks from reentering them, and the light/radio pollution they cause? I would argue, no. Invest in better remote ground-based infrastructure! This scramble for direct-to-cell sats is NOT going to work.
Here's a (messy, quick, not peer-reviewed) animation I threw together* using one of AST SpaceMobile's requested orbital configurations. These AST satellites are so bright that if you were standing in downtown Toronto on the summer solstice, in the night sky you'd be able to see the moon, Venus, and a handful of AST SpaceMobile satellites all night long.
*the code was part of a peer-reviewed paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ac341b
RE: https://mastodon.social/@sundogplanets/115748537218476769
Here's a nice, angry op-ed I got invited to write for Nature about AST SpaceMobile's first stupidly bright satellite a couple years ago: https://rdcu.be/drQOU
And just a reminder, if you're half as pissed off about stupidly bright satellites as I am, DarkSky International has an open letter to Reflect Orbital and their investors that you can sign here:
DarkSky International just posted their position letter on Reflect Orbital. It is direct and to the point:
"Based on current scientific evidence, DarkSky does not see a viable pathway for such systems to align with responsible lighting principles or with our mission to protect natural darkness. These systems would introduce significant ecological, human health, safety, and astronomical risks at a global scale."
Read their letter and add your name here:
https://darksky.org/news/organizational-statement-reflect-orbital/
Heaviest (and probably brightest, until Reflect Orbital's awful mirror) satellite ever is supposed to launch sometime tonight. I hate AST SpaceMobile only slightly less than I hate Reflect Orbital.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/indian-rocket-launch-bluebird-6-satellite-ast-spacemobile
One news article suggested that there was a chance of a collision during the launch window so they had to shift it?! Need a CRASH Clock for launches now too, apparently.
Here's a (messy, quick, not peer-reviewed) animation I threw together* using one of AST SpaceMobile's requested orbital configurations. These AST satellites are so bright that if you were standing in downtown Toronto on the summer solstice, in the night sky you'd be able to see the moon, Venus, and a handful of AST SpaceMobile satellites all night long.
*the code was part of a peer-reviewed paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/ac341b
Heaviest (and probably brightest, until Reflect Orbital's awful mirror) satellite ever is supposed to launch sometime tonight. I hate AST SpaceMobile only slightly less than I hate Reflect Orbital.
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/indian-rocket-launch-bluebird-6-satellite-ast-spacemobile
One news article suggested that there was a chance of a collision during the launch window so they had to shift it?! Need a CRASH Clock for launches now too, apparently.
After bouncing between several coffee shops, which were tasty but far to loud and crowded for my liking, I FOUND THE LIBRARY! And it's quiet and there are very few people here and there are lovely comfortable spaces to work!!
Libraries are the best!!!
Oh my goodness I've missed mountains (hellooooo Rockies!) But at the same time, I now completely understand why Prairie people get sort of claustrophobic around tall mountains!
This is very different from Saskatchewan, and I really notice the large fraction of the sky that I cannot see due to the tall mountains everywhere. I'm ok with it, but I notice it. Interesting.
#ProfSamLectureTour
It was a really wild couple of days getting everything set up for the farm sitters (including packing, fixing as much stuff as possible, and cleaning). But we made it off the farm! Sabbatical tour 2026 has started!
I'll post more details as I figure them out, but looking forward to seeing a few of you at my talks in the coming months! (Mostly in New Zealand, but possibly public talks in Vancouver/Victoria BC as well).
3 hours of working outside (including carrying literally a ton of chicken feed in 20kg increments) in -25C temperatures has earned me almost as good of a beard as my dad, who frequently gets mistaken for Santa Claus.
Also, the guy who delivered the chicken feed recognized my voice from local radio interviewing me about astronomy stuff all the time! "Oh!! You're the astronomer!!" (Yes there's only one professional research astronomer in Saskatchewan, so he wasn't exaggerating).
(And he definitely didn't recognize my face, because I was cleverly disguised as Santa Claus)
3 hours of working outside (including carrying literally a ton of chicken feed in 20kg increments) in -25C temperatures has earned me almost as good of a beard as my dad, who frequently gets mistaken for Santa Claus.
I have doubts about whether or not change.org petitions actually do anything. But if you need to do something small right now against space mirrors, a DarkSky International member set up a petition here: https://www.change.org/p/stop-space-mirrors
DarkSky International just posted their position letter on Reflect Orbital. It is direct and to the point:
"Based on current scientific evidence, DarkSky does not see a viable pathway for such systems to align with responsible lighting principles or with our mission to protect natural darkness. These systems would introduce significant ecological, human health, safety, and astronomical risks at a global scale."
Read their letter and add your name here:
https://darksky.org/news/organizational-statement-reflect-orbital/
Prof. Sam Lawler