Anyone who has spent time observing the night sky has noticed tiny, bright, pin-point spots of light speeding across the heavens, often appearing and disappearing at random.
Though some may think they are UFOs, most people know these are man-made satellites, launched into low-Earth orbit (LEO) for a variety of communication, research, and surveillance purposes.
For the most part, unless you happen to be taking a time-exposure photo of the night sky, they are of no consequence to the average observer, merely an interesting and unexpected surprise. Since they are so high up, very tiny, and rather dim, most pass overhead unseen.
That is about to change. In 2019, space entrepreneur Elon Musk launched the first 60 SpaceX Starlink satellites into LEO, followed by more launches throughout 2020.
The 17th launch occurred Jan. 20, bringing the current number of Starlink satellites into orbit around the Earth to over 1,000 – that’s in addition to the 3,000 satellites already in orbit. SpaceX has already received permission from the US Federal Communications Commission (which oversees communication networks across multiple industries, and thus most global satellite launches) to put 12,000 more Starlink satellites into orbit, with plans to have more than 30,000 eventually in orbit.
Other companies, notably Amazon and OneWeb, have jumped onto the trillion-dollar worldwide internet-connectivity market bandwagon, with plans to launch 3,236 and 2,000 satellites respectively.
SpaceX hopes to capitalize on its “rideshare” program that will assist other national and international commercial and government customers to cheaply put their satellites into orbit by collectively sharing the launch costs. SpaceX’s stated purpose is to bring high-speed broadband internet access to places on the globe not currently served by other communication technologies, although current analysis indicates the cost of internet access in most of these areas would be prohibitive – something that has an estimated $30 billion annual revenue for SpaceX.
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Astronomical issue
The potential problem that 35,000-plus satellites pose to astronomers is significant. When Starlink satellites are launched in groups, they spread out into what are referred to as satellite “trains” or “constellations” – long strings (like a pearl necklace) of lights crossing the night sky at an altitude of 550 kilometres.
Like all satellites, the Starlink satellites are made of metal – highly reflective – and, when lit by sunlight, shine like a “moving star”, significantly and negatively impacting both amateur and professional observations and research. Time exposure astrophotography for professional observation and research purposes is jeopardized when the constellations of satellites obscure the object being viewed, and the astrophoto ruined. Another significant problem is the potential interference with NASA’s observation of near-Earth asteroids, leaving our planet vulnerable to potential world-altering impacts when the telescopes watching for the asteroids are confused by the light of the moving satellites.
To its credit (but only after loud complaints from the global astronomy community), SpaceX is trying to come up with a means of either dimming or eliminating the brightness of the satellites by shielding them with a sunshade or dimming them with an anti-reflective coating; such measures, however, will take time to assess; and, in the meantime, the launches continue.
Space junk
In addition to the light polluting problem with all these satellites, they also contribute to the enormous amount of “orbital debris” or “space junk” circling the planet. There are currently more than half a million pieces of space debris being tracked by NASA – about 21,000 are larger than a softball, and over 500,000 are the size of a marble or larger, with millions of pieces too small to be tracked. Add to this number an additional 35,000-plus satellites zipping around at 28,000 kms/hour, and you can well imagine the increased potential for what scientists refer to as the “Kessler Syndrome” – where collisions between satellites or space debris cause a runaway cascade of collisions, resulting in the destruction of or damage to many satellites or other spacecraft.
These collisions could add countless more pieces of orbital debris to the already huge number of orbiting debris pieces, compounding the problem further. Such collisions and the resulting space debris could pose significant threats to the International Space Station, future commercial space flights, and even future missions to the moon and Mars. Large satellites and large debris objects, if knocked earthward, could pose a threat to people on the ground if they survive re-entry and strike a populated area.
Though many people don’t care about additional bright lights streaking across the night sky, there is much to be lost if it becomes saturated with artificial lights. Not only will valuable scientific observations and research opportunities be compromised, but sadly, our historical connection to the night sky will be lost. From the nights when early humans first pondered the mysteries of the heavens to the elaborate stories and myths ancient civilizations associated with the constellations and the contributions astronomy has made to the advancement of science, we have always been connected spiritually and emotionally to the stars. We are, after all, made of stardust; naturally, we have an affinity for them. To lose this connection for the sake of artificial entertainment is lamentable.
This week’s sky
As with last week, planet observations this coming week are limited. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are all too close to the sun to be readily observable. Mercury will achieve inferior conjunction with the sun on Feb. 8.
The only planet observable this week is Mars. Shining at magnitude +0.5 in Aries – the Ram, the red planet becomes accessible shortly before 6 p.m., 60 degrees above the southern horizon, remaining observable until about 12:15 a.m., when it drops below 10 degrees above the western horizon.
NASA’s Mars 2020 spacecraft, with its Perseverance Rover, is due to arrive at the planet on Feb. 18.
Until next week, clear skies.
Events
Feb. 3 – Moon at perigee (closest to Earth)
Feb. 4 – Last quarter moon
Glenn K. Roberts lives in Stratford, P.E.I., and has been an avid amateur astronomer since he was a small child. He welcomes comments from readers at [email protected].
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.
The European Space Agency is fast-tracking a new mission called Ramses, which will fly to near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis and join the space rock in 2029 when it comes very close to our planet — closer even than the region where geosynchronous satellites sit.
Ramses is short for Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety and, as its name suggests, is the next phase in humanity’s efforts to learn more about near-Earth asteroids (NEOs) and how we might deflect them should one ever be discovered on a collision course with planet Earth.
In order to launch in time to rendezvous with Apophis in February 2029, scientists at the European Space Agency have been given permission to start planning Ramses even before the multinational space agency officially adopts the mission. The sanctioning and appropriation of funding for the Ramses mission will hopefully take place at ESA’s Ministerial Council meeting (involving representatives from each of ESA’s member states) in November of 2025. To arrive at Apophis in February 2029, launch would have to take place in April 2028, the agency says.
This is a big deal because large asteroids don’t come this close to Earth very often. It is thus scientifically precious that, on April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass within 19,794 miles (31,860 kilometers) of Earth. For comparison, geosynchronous orbit is 22,236 miles (35,786 km) above Earth’s surface. Such close fly-bys by asteroids hundreds of meters across (Apophis is about 1,230 feet, or 375 meters, across) only occur on average once every 5,000 to 10,000 years. Miss this one, and we’ve got a long time to wait for the next.
When Apophis was discovered in 2004, it was for a short time the most dangerous asteroid known, being classified as having the potential to impact with Earth possibly in 2029, 2036, or 2068. Should an asteroid of its size strike Earth, it could gouge out a crater several kilometers across and devastate a country with shock waves, flash heating and earth tremors. If it crashed down in the ocean, it could send a towering tsunami to devastate coastlines in multiple countries.
Over time, as our knowledge of Apophis’ orbit became more refined, however, the risk of impact greatly went down. Radar observations of the asteroid in March of 2021 reduced the uncertainty in Apophis’ orbit from hundreds of kilometers to just a few kilometers, finally removing any lingering worries about an impact — at least for the next 100 years. (Beyond 100 years, asteroid orbits can become too unpredictable to plot with any accuracy, but there’s currently no suggestion that an impact will occur after 100 years.) So, Earth is expected to be perfectly safe in 2029 when Apophis comes through. Still, scientists want to see how Apophis responds by coming so close to Earth and entering our planet’s gravitational field.
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“There is still so much we have yet to learn about asteroids but, until now, we have had to travel deep into the solar system to study them and perform experiments ourselves to interact with their surface,” said Patrick Michel, who is the Director of Research at CNRS at Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur in Nice, France, in a statement. “Nature is bringing one to us and conducting the experiment itself. All we need to do is watch as Apophis is stretched and squeezed by strong tidal forces that may trigger landslides and other disturbances and reveal new material from beneath the surface.”
The Goldstone radar’s imagery of asteroid 99942 Apophis as it made its closest approach to Earth, in March 2021. (Image credit: NASA/JPL–Caltech/NSF/AUI/GBO)
By arriving at Apophis before the asteroid’s close encounter with Earth, and sticking with it throughout the flyby and beyond, Ramses will be in prime position to conduct before-and-after surveys to see how Apophis reacts to Earth. By looking for disturbances Earth’s gravitational tidal forces trigger on the asteroid’s surface, Ramses will be able to learn about Apophis’ internal structure, density, porosity and composition, all of which are characteristics that we would need to first understand before considering how best to deflect a similar asteroid were one ever found to be on a collision course with our world.
Besides assisting in protecting Earth, learning about Apophis will give scientists further insights into how similar asteroids formed in the early solar system, and, in the process, how planets (including Earth) formed out of the same material.
One way we already know Earth will affect Apophis is by changing its orbit. Currently, Apophis is categorized as an Aten-type asteroid, which is what we call the class of near-Earth objects that have a shorter orbit around the sun than Earth does. Apophis currently gets as far as 0.92 astronomical units (137.6 million km, or 85.5 million miles) from the sun. However, our planet will give Apophis a gravitational nudge that will enlarge its orbit to 1.1 astronomical units (164.6 million km, or 102 million miles), such that its orbital period becomes longer than Earth’s.
It will then be classed as an Apollo-type asteroid.
Ramses won’t be alone in tracking Apophis. NASA has repurposed their OSIRIS-REx mission, which returned a sample from another near-Earth asteroid, 101955 Bennu, in 2023. However, the spacecraft, renamed OSIRIS-APEX (Apophis Explorer), won’t arrive at the asteroid until April 23, 2029, ten days after the close encounter with Earth. OSIRIS-APEX will initially perform a flyby of Apophis at a distance of about 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from the object, then return in June that year to settle into orbit around Apophis for an 18-month mission.
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Furthermore, the European Space Agency still plans on launching its Hera spacecraft in October 2024 to follow-up on the DART mission to the double asteroid Didymos and Dimorphos. DART impacted the latter in a test of kinetic impactor capabilities for potentially changing a hazardous asteroid’s orbit around our planet. Hera will survey the binary asteroid system and observe the crater made by DART’s sacrifice to gain a better understanding of Dimorphos’ structure and composition post-impact, so that we can place the results in context.
The more near-Earth asteroids like Dimorphos and Apophis that we study, the greater that context becomes. Perhaps, one day, the understanding that we have gained from these missions will indeed save our planet.
