Warn of light pollution caused by satellites and space debris

2023/03/22 Etxebeste Aduriz, Egoitz - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena
• Astronomia

Space junk and satellites orbiting near the Earth are increasingly numerous and their impact on light pollution has been explained by two articles published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

One of the articles has calculated how garbage and satellites increase the brightness of the night sky. And they warn of their influence on astronomical observations from Earth, even if they require darkness in ecosystems. For example, it has been estimated that if the same line is followed, the cost of observatories may increase considerably, as the exposure times for observations are much longer.

In the second article, authors demand limiting the production of artificial light and the number of satellites in orbit. They argue that the problems of coping with light pollution and non-technological spaces are sociopolitical and suggest the need to establish limitations to stop the increase in constellations and artificial light.