Elon Musk’s thousands of Starlink satellites aren’t just disrupting scientific research by causing streaks in deep space photos — according to a new study, they are also dumping “unintended electromagnetic radiation” into space, something that could be a major problem for Earth-bound astronomers.
In the study, forthcoming in the peer-reviewed journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, scientists observed 68 Starlink satellites made by SpaceX and found that the satellites in low Earth orbit could be muddling or even drowning out signals from deeper in space that radio astronomers search for.
Some of the radiation emitting from the satellites falls within a bandwidth that is designated by the International Telecommunications Union (INU) to allow radio astronomers to perform their work, according to the study.
“We detected radiation between 110 and 188 MHz from 47 out of the 68 satellites that were observed. This frequency range includes a protected band between 150.05 and 153 MHz specifically allocated to radio astronomy by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)”, Cees Bassa from ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy and co-author of the study, said in a press release.
However, because this type of radiation isn’t covered by any international regulations, SpaceX isn’t running afoul of any actual rules — even though this type of equipment is strictly regulated if it’s terrestrial to ensure no devices interfere with others.
The study comes from the International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (CPS), an organization made up of astronomers from across the globe that is dedicated to studying astronomical matters that pertain to satellites cluttering the night sky. The organization was formerly launched in 2022, but the idea came from the launch of the first 60 Starlink satellites in May 2019, which was a number that was unprecedented at the time.
Since then, Starlink has launched more than 3,000 satellites, which provide internet to more than 50 countries, including Canada. They are aiming to hit 10,000 satellites by 2027.
Previous research on satellite interference with astronomy has focused on the visual impact of a cluttered night sky, with several studies showing that satellites are leaving pale streaks on thousands of night sky photography, potentially blocking telescopes and cameras from capturing accurate observations from the ground.
But less well understood is how satellites affect radio astronomy.
“This study represents the latest effort to better understand satellite constellations’ impact on radio astronomy,” Federico Di Vruno, lead author of the study and co-director of CPS, said in the release. “Previous workshops on Dark and Quiet Skies theorised about this radiation, and our observations confirm it is measurable.”
Radio astronomy is the branch of astronomy that studies radio waves coming from deep space. Instead of relying on the visible light spectrum and photographs of space, radio astronomy uses the patterns and qualities of radio waves to organize them into signals that can tell us things about celestial objects we might not be able to see.
The reason we know about pulsars — spinning remnants of stars gone supernova that flash radio waves out at regular intervals — is because of radio astronomy. This branch also discovered something known as the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, which is the evidence left over from the Big Bang.
In this new study, researchers used observations from a telescope in the Netherlands called the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) to track the radiation coming from onboard electronics on the Starlink satellites.
This radiation is different from communications transmissions facilitated by satellites, which have long been something radio astronomers have to contend with in the course of their research.
Human-made radio signals are capable of drowning out the faint signals from deep space, so many radio astronomy sites are specifically built in areas that have protections from terrestrial interference, including radio-quiet zones.
The discovery in this study that there is another confounding signal from satellites for radio astronomers to worry about — this electromagnetic radiation — is something researchers say we need to look into more.
“Our simulations show that the larger the (satellite) constellation, the more important this effect becomes as the radiation from all the satellites adds up,” Benjamin Winkel, a scientist with the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIfR) in Germany and co-author of the study, said in the release.
“This makes us worried not only about the existing constellations but even more about the planned ones — and also about the absence of clear regulation that protects the radio astronomy bands from unintended radiation.”
Although this study focused on Starlink satellites due to their high saturation in the market, authors say that other low-Earth-orbiting satellites likely emit the same radiation, and that this isn’t just a SpaceX issue.
The company is aware of this new study, according to the press release, and “has offered to continue to discuss possible ways to mitigate any adverse effects on astronomy in good faith.”
The authors praised SpaceX for collaborating with astronomers, but pointed out that all satellite operators need to be part of a broader change to ensure that we can continue to study space without obstruction.
“We believe that the early recognition of this situation gives astronomy and large constellation operators an opportunity to work together on technical mitigations pro-actively, in parallel to the necessary discussions to develop suitable regulations,” Gyula Józsa, a scientists with MPIfR and co-author of the study, said in the release.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The body of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei — who died after being set on fire by her partner in Kenya — was received Friday by family and anti-femicide crusaders, ahead of her burial a day later.
Cheptegei’s family met with dozens of activists Friday who had marched to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s morgue in the western city of Eldoret while chanting anti-femicide slogans.
She is the fourth female athlete to have been killed by her partner in Kenya in yet another case of gender-based violence in recent years.
Viola Cheptoo, the founder of Tirop Angels – an organization that was formed in honor of athlete Agnes Tirop, who was stabbed to death in 2021, said stakeholders need to ensure this is the last death of an athlete due to gender-based violence.
“We are here to say that enough is enough, we are tired of burying our sisters due to GBV,” she said.
It was a somber mood at the morgue as athletes and family members viewed Cheptegei’s body which sustained 80% of burns after she was doused with gasoline by her partner Dickson Ndiema. Ndiema sustained 30% burns on his body and later succumbed.
Ndiema and Cheptegei were said to have quarreled over a piece of land that the athlete bought in Kenya, according to a report filed by the local chief.
Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month before the attack. She finished in 44th place.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph, said that the body will make a brief stop at their home in the Endebess area before proceeding to Bukwo in eastern Uganda for a night vigil and burial on Saturday.
“We are in the final part of giving my daughter the last respect,” a visibly distraught Joseph said.
He told reporters last week that Ndiema was stalking and threatening Cheptegei and the family had informed police.
Four in 10 women or an estimated 41% of dating or married Kenyan women have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by their current or most recent partner, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rare Bronze-Era jar accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old visiting a museum was back on display Wednesday after restoration experts were able to carefully piece the artifact back together.
Last month, a family from northern Israel was visiting the museum when their youngest son tipped over the jar, which smashed into pieces.
Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.
The jar has been on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for 35 years. It was one of the only containers of its size and from that period still complete when it was discovered.
The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.
It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the moment, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
Rivlin added that the incident provided a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza. “Well, he’s just a kid. So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world,“ said Rivlin.
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.
Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to painstakingly reconstruct the large jar.
Less than two weeks after it broke, the jar went back on display at the museum. The gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few pieces are missing, but the jar’s impressive size remains.
The only noticeable difference in the exhibit was a new sign reading “please don’t touch.”
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province.
Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussions with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.”
Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public.
“So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview.
B.C. government data show conservation officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year.
Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommendations by next spring, while an independent oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservation officers to provide advice to the government.
Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservation officers “have the trust of the communities they serve,” and the panel will make recommendations to enhance officer training and improve policies.
Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades.
“This move demonstrates the government is listening,” said Fox. “I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentially a little sharper than they normally are.”
Fox said the partnership came from “a place of long frustration” as provincial conservation officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.”
“I think that the conservation officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox.
Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnership, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through.
“I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
