For many people, the night sky is a beautiful sight. But to astronomers, the night sky is becoming louder, brighter and busier 鈥� to the point of drowning out the cosmos that they seek to study.
are one of the main culprits. These are networks of satellites launched in recent years into low Earth orbit for applications such as broadband networks. The satellite constellations in place are already interfering with astronomical observations, with private companies planning to hoist thousands more in the coming decade.
At a on Feb. 3, the launched the Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference 鈥� to be hosted jointly by the National Science Foundation鈥檚 and the U.K.-headquartered . The center will coordinate collaborative multidisciplinary international efforts with institutions and individuals 鈥� including researchers at the 天美影视传媒鈥檚 , or DiRAC Institute 鈥� and will work across multiple geographic areas to help mitigate the negative impacts of satellite constellations on ground-based optical and radio astronomy observations as well as humanity鈥檚 enjoyment of the night sky.
Satellite constellations introduce large amounts of 鈥渘oise鈥� into images and data collection runs by Earth-based observatories. For example, they reflect sunlight, and appear as streaks across images of cosmic objects. That does more than ruin a good picture: The streaks can obscure objects and reduce the scientific utility of astronomical images. In addition, their uplink and downlink transmissions can interfere with radio astronomy.
“We’re witnessing a new era as skies fill with thousands of bright satellites,鈥� said , a research scientist with the and the DiRAC Institute at the UW. 鈥淚n just the last two years, astronomers have realized this will impact our ability to achieve science goals from ground-based facilities like Rubin Observatory.鈥�
DiRAC is a supporter of the new center, and Rawls spoke at the press conference about the critical need to understand the impact satellite constellations will have on astrophysical research and other endeavors, such as identifying and tracking potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids.
鈥淭here is no limit on the number or brightness of satellites streaking across the night, and as a result, not only is science impacted, but so are astronomers鈥� careers and the shared human experience of a dark sky,鈥� said Rawls.
In 2020, Rawls began studying interference from SpaceX鈥檚 Starlink satellites, which are part of a network to market broadband access to underserved regions. She leads the , which will be an online repository for images with satellite interference. Dino Bekte拧evi膰, a UW graduate student in astronomy, is working with Rawls on the project, along with undergraduate students at the UW and other institutions. Trailblazer will contribute to one of the new center鈥檚 core aims: the creation of a 鈥淪atHub鈥� platform to coordinate the sharing, analysis and dissemination of images with streaks and other interference caused by satellites.
鈥淲e are building Trailblazer to be an open data repository for astronomical images with satellite streaks, with two goals: giving astronomers with messed-up images something useful to do with them; and enabling studies of how the rapidly-changing satellite population is actually impacting ground-based optical/near-infrared astronomy,鈥� said Rawls.
The center has other hubs for community engagement and advocating for new policies and regulations, as well as for interfacing with private companies and government agencies.
The International Astronomical Union called for the establishment of the center in 2021. It aims to bring together astronomers, satellite operators, regulators and the wider community and acts as a bridge among all stakeholders to protect the dark and quiet skies. The center builds on the vast amount of work carried out by the two host institutions, along with other supporting institutions across the world like the DiRAC Institute.
鈥淭he new center is an important step towards ensuring that technological advances do not inadvertently impede our study and enjoyment of the sky,鈥� said IAU President Debra Elmegreen. 鈥淚 am confident that the center co-hosts can facilitate global coordination and bring together the necessary expertise from many sectors for this vital effort.鈥�
The vision of the center is to become the leading voice for astronomical matters that relate to the protection of the dark and quiet sky from satellite constellations and to act as a hub of information and resources for stakeholder groups.
鈥淐ontinuing to preserve a dark and quiet sky is essential for both astronomy and for sustaining the curiosity of future generations, who find inspiration from simply looking up,鈥� said Matt Mountain, president of AURA, which operates NOIRLab under a cooperative agreement with the NSF.
For more information, contact Rawls at mrawls@uw.edu.
Adapted from a by NSF鈥檚 NOIRLab.