SpaceX Starlink satellites visible to naked eye - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 09:41:50 am
content: Word is the Starlink satellites will be visible to the naked eye after dusk and may disrupt astronomers, not to mention general sky watchers?Photos and video are starting it come in apparently.Could be a screwup of biblical proportions?

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 09:45:56 am
content: The have a large solar panel facing away from the planet, as the antenna array always has to point towards earth, so it should be similar to iridium flares, you just have to be at a location where the sun is in the path of the panels reflection.If it does become persistently reflective, they can likely tilt the space craft to counteract the effect where the reflection would hit ground at night without effecting its operations. also would be really fun to ask a flat earther to explain what they are looking at

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 09:58:37 am
content: Quote from: Rerouter on May 26, 2019, 09:45:56 amThey get all their internets from the wiring runningunderneaththe Earth, silly!

author: Domagoj T
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 10:19:55 am
content: Quote from: Rerouter on May 26, 2019, 09:45:56 amActually they are a multipurpose devices:A holographic grid for projecting the stars onto the firmament.Sun's glimmer off of the rails on which the planets move.New generation of chemtrail dispersal system.Sky demons in their new patrol pattern.Government mind control array.Mass vaccination delivery system.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 10:26:29 am
content: Given their size it's surprising they are visible at all but it does indeed look like they are as there are some videos already showing them in the sky, kinda crazy and surreal to see in person I imagine when they were all bunched together. I guess the solar array does expand quite a bit so it's decently big reflective surface area.I guess I could see it be a concern because there will be so many of them, so you pretty much will always see at least one. I still think it's cool that something like that can even be seen though, I always enjoy sitting by the camp fire in summer and looking at the sky and noticing the odd satellite go by. Sometimes even see multiple at once.

author: Homer J Simpson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 02:16:25 pm
content: https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites-night-sky-visibility-guide.html

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 05:43:44 pm
content: 12000 visible satellites?Sounds like incoming PR disaster everywhere outside the techie echo chamber.Quote from: Halcyon on May 26, 2019, 09:58:37 amThat's unironically how it works.

author: chris_leyson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 06:38:52 pm
content: Check out N2YO.comhttps://www.n2yo.com/and click the link Watch Starlink satellites crossing your sky!https://www.n2yo.com/passes/?s=74001They should be visible from the UK May 27th, tonight !!27 May 00:08 BST Az 175 deg S El 79 deg27 May 01:45 BST Az 9 deg N El 66 deg27 May 03:23 BST Az 194 deg S El 72 deg27 May 23:27 BST Az 154 deg SSE El 65 deg28 May 01:04 BST Az 1 deg N El 67 deg28 May 02:41 BST Az 231 deg SW El 86 deg29 May 00:22 BST Az 352 deg N El 70 deg29 May 02:00 BST Az 37 deg NE El 81 deg29 May 23:41 BST Az 339 deg NNW El 76 deg30 May 01:18 BST Az 13 deg N El 74 deg30 May 23:00 BST Az 32 deg NE El 84 degNice high elevation so should be easy to spot, depending on cloud cover.Also visible over Sydney May 31st 21:23 local time.

author: donotdespisethesnake
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 07:34:38 pm
content: The launch of Starlink satellites was approved by the FCC so

author: Yansi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 08:08:04 pm
content: Within 80 minutes they should be over our heads, so I'll go check them out, if I can spot them.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 08:25:51 pm
content: Quote from: magic on May 26, 2019, 05:43:44 pmNobody complained about iridium flares. Also I guess then airplanes as such should be a one big PR disaster.

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 09:04:04 pm
content: Quote from: wraper on May 26, 2019, 08:25:51 pmYep, seems a bunch of people have decided to expand there conspiracy world view to include Starlink sats in addition to chemtrails and, 5G. Who's behind this conspiracy ... you guessed it, Frank Stalone.

author: Domagoj T
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 09:18:52 pm
content: Quote from: donotdespisethesnake on May 26, 2019, 07:34:38 pmFCC doesn't concern itself with the aesthetics of the night sky.Quote from: wraper on May 26, 2019, 08:25:51 pmThere are <100 Iridium satellites. Iridium flares are predictable, short and localized. Judging by the video from Netherlands, these things might be visible for much longer periods.Airplanes are a nuisance for night sky photography, but even with 100 000 flights per day, they are a less of a problem than 12 000 satellites in a ~90 minute orbit.

author: ruffy91
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 10:12:19 pm
content: We will get used to it and explain to our children how hey run the modern civilization and how we used to dig trenches everywhere to lay cables.

author: m98
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 10:59:39 pm
content: They're also currently not in their final orbit. Once they're there, they won't be as bright as they are now. You won't notice them anyways if you didn't know where to look.Still, I think there should be a worldwide limitation and coordination of satellite networks. There really shouldn't be one private entity or even nation that controls 12000 Satellites in LEO. And there will be a lot more in the future. Every billionaire and his dog is planning large-scale satellite networks.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 11:01:16 pm
content: I don't think radio will ever replace cables other than the last mile for mobile devices and some remote areas.Whatever you can send over radio you can also send over a run of coax or optic fiber. And then you can lie another line in parallel with it, and perhaps another ten or hundred.The bandwidth just isn't the same.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 26, 2019, 11:58:14 pm
content: Tried to see the on two passes last night, naked eye only and could not see them at all. Predictions are that they will be magnitude 5 so only visible from truly dark locations if you are going naked eye. Most recommend using binoculars. The pictures and videos are stunning but used optical augmentation.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 27, 2019, 12:12:23 am
content: It's not certain if they will be visible once they will rise to desired orbit. I expect them not visible at all since they will face earth with flat side and solar panel will be perpendicular. Iridium sattelites on the other hand had 3 antennas located at 40oangle from it's body which caused flares.

author: chris_leyson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 27, 2019, 11:35:45 am
content: Technical suppliment to the ammended FCC applicationhttps://fcc.report/IBFS/SAT-MOD-20181108-00083/1569860.pdf

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 28, 2019, 02:56:33 am
content: Can't wait till my next day off actually, I want to see if I can catch them. Winter is slowly ending and we've been getting nights with no clouds.Did they start adjusting orbits yet or are they still mostly bunched up?

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 28, 2019, 03:47:06 am
content: Quote from: Red Squirrel on May 28, 2019, 02:56:33 amThey are way more spread and way less visible.