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Starlink flares and real meteor

Astronomy & Observing News

Satellite or Meteor? Dissecting Light Trails in Your Sky Photos

Here's a quick guide to tell meteors from machines in your wide-field images of the night sky.

Illustration of Starlink satellites in grid-like orbits over radio receiver array

Astronomy & Observing News

Astronomers and Starlink Partner for Quieter Radio Sky

Astronomers and Starlink engineers have developed a technique to significantly reduce satellite radio pollution affecting astronomical observations.

Qianfan Launch

Astronomy & Observing News

Observers’ Report: First Views of the Chinese “Thousand Sails” Satellites

Amateur astronomers have shown that the first satellites of the Chinese Qianfan (“Thousand Sails”) constellation are bright enough to be seen naked-eye.

Starlink flares above Utah desert

Astronomy & Observing News

Starlink Flares Can Fool Anyone — Even Airline Pilots

Starlink satellites can flare as brightly as Venus, confusing ground observers and airline pilots alike.

Starlink flares

Astronomy & Observing News

How to See Freaky Starlink "Cluster Flares", Plus the Latest on Comet Lemmon

Alien invasion or flares from satellites in multiple orbits? It depends on your point of view. We also check in on Comet Lemmon, poised to possibly reach binocular-visibility.

Illustration of Starlink satellites in grid-like orbits over radio receiver array

Astronomy & Observing News

A New Hope? Taming the Satellite Swarm

Going by the paperwork, 1 million satellites are headed for the skies. The question is, how many of these are real? New policy may help stem the tide.

BlueWalker 3 satellite panel dwarfs team that built it

Astronomy & Observing News

The Bright BlueWalker 3 Satellite Threatens Astronomy

The bright BlueWalker 3 satellite, a prototype for the even larger Bluebird satellites, is one of the brightest objects in the sky.

Illustration of Starlink satellites in grid-like orbits over radio receiver array

Astronomy & Observing News

Unintended Satellite Emission May Harm Radio Astronomy

Satellites’ leakage radiation, now detected for the first time, may become a major problem for radio astronomy, as “megaconstellations” keep on growing.

Astronomy & Observing News

The Newest and Largest Starlink Satellites Are Also the Faintest

Despite being four times larger than the original Starlink satellites, the new "Mini" version is fainter — as dim as astronomers have recommended such satellites be.

Astronomy & Observing News

Satellites and Space Debris Are Polluting Our Night Skies

Astronomers are sounding the alarm about low-Earth orbit satellites and space debris as significant contributors to light pollution that will affect even the remotest earthbound stargazer.

Satellite trail passes through galaxy

Astronomy & Observing News

Satellite Trails Mar Hubble Images

An accounting of satellite streaks across two decades of Hubble Space Telescopes finds their appearance is increasing.

BlueWalker 3 satellite panel dwarfs team that built it

Astronomy & Observing News

Bright New Satellites Join a Crowded Sky — Here’s How You Can Help

The imminent launch of a BlueWalker satellite, with a giant phased array antenna, portends a brightening night sky. Amateur astronomers can help record these changes with the goal of mitigating them.

An arm to the sun

Astronomy & Observing News

Newest Starlink Satellites Have Gotten Brighter Again

Changes to the design of Starlink satellite spacecraft have made them brighter again, though still dimmer than the original design.

Starlink

Astronomy & Observing News

Space Storm Knocks Out Latest Batch of Starlink Satellites

A minor space storm took down much of the latest Starlink batch shortly after launch.

Andromeda Galaxy, streaked

Astronomy & Observing News

Starlink Satellites Not Impacting Science — Yet

A new study of Starlink satellites’ impact on astronomy gives the community cause for both relief and concern.

Apollo 11 photo of Earth with glare from Sun

Astronomy & Observing News

Did Astronomers See a Distant, Dying Star? Or an Earth-bound Satellite?

What seemed a lucky break — the discovery of a gamma-ray burst in the most distant known galaxy — might instead be the flash of passing space debris. As satellites fill low-Earth orbit, such events might become common.

January 20, 2021 Starlink launch

Astronomy & Observing News

Beyond Starlink: The Satellite Saga Continues

SpaceX has placed more than 1,000 Starlinks in orbit, and other companies are following suit. Here's the latest on what's being done to protect astronomy.

VisorSat

Astronomy & Observing News

Starlink Satellites Are Fainter Now — But Still Visible

Measurements of Starlink's "VisorSat" show SpaceX has succeeded in making a less reflective satellite. But it's still visible from dark-sky areas.

An arm to the sun

Astronomy & Observing News

Details of SpaceX's Starlink "VisorSat" Revealed

SpaceX has revealed new details on its plans to darken the Starlink satellites.

Starlink constellation around Earth

Astronomy & Observing News

Starlink and the Astronomers: An Update

As Starlink satellites continue to enter low-Earth orbit — there are 360 of them now — SpaceX is working to mitigate the serious problems they pose for astronomy.