Description
Our skies are fundamentally changing as the satellite constellation population rapidly increases. Sun-reflected luminosity from a large number of satellites can produce bright streaks on astronomical observations and impact the pristine appearance of the night sky. Models and data for satellite brightness are being developed to enable mitigation, active avoidance, or use in compliance checks.
The IAU’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference (IAU CPS) is addressing these challenges through a recent U.S. NSF award. The collaborative SWIFT-SAT grant between NOIRLab and U. Illinois brings together a consortium of experts to quantify and ultimately mitigate impacts of satellite streaks on optical observations. By leveraging high accuracy, precise positions of space objects’ orbits from Aerospace Corporation, a network of observers, and novel brightness modeling from U. California Davis, software solutions for forecasting satellite passes and ultimately predicting satellite brightnesses are being produced. The resulting publicly-available web-based service is called SatChecker.
SatChecker is potentially usable by both satellite operators and observatories worldwide, and in the verification and validation of brightness mitigation measures taken by satellite operators. As a test, the research will substantially advance our understanding of the impact of the variation in brightness along satellite streaks on the discovery and characterization of solar system objects and on the rate of false positives in transient object detection on the Rubin Observatory.
The project is a primary means by which IAU CPS is leveraging its truly international constituency to address this urgent global issue.
