Patrick Seitzer, University of Michigan, Dept of Astronomy
Keywords: astronomy, orbital debris, LEO, constellations, debris
Abstract:
The launching of the Starlink and OneWeb satellites has ushered in the era of large (or mega) constellations of bright satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). These satellites are likely to be brighter than the majority of everything currently cataloged in Earth orbit, including spacecraft, rocket bodies, and debris. Properly designed and operated, these satellites could be invisible to the unaided eye even under the best conditions but will still have a serious impact on astronomical research using large, wide field telescopes. The trails of such satellites can saturate the detectors of telescopes even if the satellite is not visible to the unaided eye.
I have performed detailed simulations of representative large constellations using orbital information companies have filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). For a number of dates distributed throughout the year I follow the individual satellites in each constellation by propagating the orbit forward for 24 hours and predicting the geometric visibility of every individual satellite in each constellation when not in Earth shadow.
The number of new satellites visible at any one time could range from zero up to several hundred or more depending on the observatory latitude, time of year, and the constellation orbital inclination and altitude, and the elevation of a satellite above the observers horizon. For the same conditions, Ill compare this number with the visibility of the current catalog of objects in Earth orbit.
Such a large number of new bright satellites represent a serious challenge to observational astronomy and the visual appearance of the night sky.
Date of Conference: September 15-18, 2020
Track: Orbital Debris