Satellites Area Affecting Astronomical Research.


Recently, SpaceX impressively sent 60 artificial satellites into space from one launch.
Many amateur stargazers soon shared images of satellites streaking across the sky online, sparking heated discussions among astronomers who fear that larger number of satellites would cause major interference in scientific observations and damage the cosmic landscape.
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According to the United Nations' satellite registration website (www.unoosa.org), as of today, mankind has launched a total of 9,449 artificial satellites into the universe, and there are currently about 2,000 of them still in orbit.
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SpaceX founder Musk had said that the company would launch 2,000 satellites every year in the future, and the ultimate goal is to put 12,000 satellites into orbit, to complete the "Starlink".
Astronomers agree that bringing the world online is a worthy goal, but those satellites are too bright.
Tyler Nordgren, an astronomer who advocates for protecting the night sky, said the satellite project "could change the natural night sky landscape."
And SpaceX is not the only company to send a large number of artificial satellites into space.
Others, such as Amazon, Telesat and OneWeb, also hope to get involved in the space network business.
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Musk initially assured that these satellites would be almost unnoticeable, but their frequent appearance in telescopes and camera lenses around the world are now worrying and troubling astronomers.
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They worry that those reflected lights will threaten astronomical research and celestial observations.
Astronomical telescope operators have been struggling with this problem for many years.
Whenever the lens is exposed for a long time and a satellite passes through the frame, the image is considered ruined and astronomers would need to retake it.
One estimate points out that among the images taken by the Large Synoptic Telescope, an 8.4-meter-diameter telescope on the top of a Chilean mountain, before dawn and as twilight deepens, Starlink satellites may be captured in one out of every few images.
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Warning: these questons and answers are not all representative of the way questions will be asked and answered in the pilot, because some questions are compound and some answers do not include citations.

Q: How many man made satellites have been launched into space till now?
A: 9449 in total.

Q: How many of them are still in orbit?
A: About 20.

Q: How many satellites did SpaceX sent to the orbit from a recent one launch?
A: 60.

Q: How many satellites is SpaceX planning to send to space yearly?
A: 2000.

Q: What is the ultimate goal of SpaceX in completing the Starlink?
A: To put 12,000 satellites into orbit.

Q: Are there other major companies like SpaceX that could also be sending large numbers of satellites to space?
A: Yes, companies like Amazon, Telesat and OneWeb.

Q: Are astronomers worried about the situation?
A: Yes, they have been worried and troubled.

Q: How are satellites affecting astronomy observations?
A: The reflected lights from satellites threaten astronomical research and celestial observations.

Q: In what ways are the reflected lights affect astronomy research?
A: The images taken from astronomical telescopes are considered ruined when they capture the lights at long exposure.

Q: What do astronomers say about the issue?
A: Astronomers agree that bringing the world online is a worthy goal, but those satellites are too bright.