UK Astronomy Technology Centre’s Post

You may have heard about the increasing number of commercial satellites in low-Earth orbit, impacting ground-based observers worldwide. Join Dr. Meredith Rawls, a renowned astronomy researcher at UW/Rubin Observatory, as she sheds light on how astronomers are adapting to this changing landscape. Dr. Rawls, a key figure in the Legacy Survey of Space and Time group, will discuss the effects of Low-Earth-orbit satellites on astronomy. Don't miss this opportunity to learn and contribute to preserving our skies. 🌌 Event Details: 🔹 Speaker: Dr. Meredith Rawls 🔹 Topic: Astronomy and Satellite Constellations 🔹 Date: Wednesday, 18th September 🔹 Time: 18:30 CET 🔹 Where: Online webinar 🔹 Register here: https://lnkd.in/g-bVX5bT Don't miss out on this insightful discussion on the future of astronomy amidst the surge in satellite activities. #Astronomy #SatelliteConstellations #WebinarAlert 🛰️

🌌 Exciting times for astronomy enthusiasts! The "Astronomy Olympics" is currently shining a spotlight on Cape Town, South Africa, marking a landmark moment as Africa hosts the 32nd General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union for the first time. 🌍✨ 🛰️ The highlight of this assembly? The James Webb Space Telescope, which since its launch in 2021, has revolutionized our understanding of the early universe. Imagine peering back in time to witness the formation of galaxies! 📡 Closer to Earth, South Africa's MeerKAT Telescope is making waves in the global scientific community, setting the stage for the Square Kilometre Array - SKA - soon to be the world’s largest radio telescope. This is not just a technological marvel but a beacon of Africa's burgeoning prowess in global astronomy. The assembly isn't just about showcasing equipment. It includes a host of symposia and focus meetings where top minds in astronomy dive deep into discussions on groundbreaking topics like black holes, gravitational waves, and solar observations. 🌍 Moreover, the involvement of eight other African countries in the SKA project is a testament to the continent’s escalating role and commitment to advancing the field of astronomy. 🔭 #Astronomy #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #MeerKAT #SKA #InternationalAstronomicalUnion #ScienceInAfrica #GlobalScience Source: https://lnkd.in/dDe8nfm7

🔭 *Revolutionizing astronomy, one milestone at a time!* The Vera C. Rubin Observatory just took a huge step forward by successfully coating and installing its **8.4-meter primary/tertiary mirror**, an engineering marvel with two surfaces integrated into a single structure. This breakthrough moves us closer to the observatory's mission of capturing celestial light, enabling groundbreaking discoveries through the upcoming **Legacy Survey of Space and Time** (LSST). ➡️ The real question: How will this advanced optical system reshape our understanding of the universe? Let’s discuss! #ScienceInnovation #RubinObservatory #SpaceTech Link in the first comment.

More excellent progress!!

#NEWS: We have issued our first recommendations paper urging action to address the impact of satellite constellations on astronomy 🛰️. 🔗 Read it here: https://loom.ly/n-5Iw6Y The 30-page paper is the result of 18 months’ work by experts including astronomers, industry representatives and policy advisors. It proposes measures and mitigation strategies for different stakeholders, including calling for satellite operators to adopt voluntary mitigations, and outlines the regulations needed at both the national and international level. NSF's NOIRLab, SKA Observatory, The International Astronomical Union

This is a fantastic overview from the IAU CPS on the impacts of increasing Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation deployments on ground based optical and radio astronomy, and the need to protect them along with access to the natural night sky for all of humanity. The precautionary principle puts the onus on us as space engineers to understand the wider impacts of our activities and mitigate them where necessary. That way we can ensure we achieve the amazing benefits possible from our technology without destroying other vital areas of activity and the wider space environment. To help in this there are some really valuable recommendations that I encourage any spacecraft or network development team to consider as a core element in their design process. As part my own research The University of Manchester into the development of direct to handset space based extensions to the terrestrial mobile communications network I am now looking at how access to lower orbits will enable smaller, lower power spacecraft. These can then be dimmer and quieter across a range of frequencies and more rapidly traverse the field of view, minimising or removing these terrestrial impacts whilst still enabling ubiquitous, high speed, low latency connectivity. #DarkandQuietSkies #SpaceTechnology #Astronomy #SpaceEngineering #SpaceSustainability

Move over JWST, move over Euclid, the eyes of the astronomy world are all moving to look at the Vera Rubin Observatory which is getting closer and closer to what’s known as “first light” in August 2024 - when after 13 years of construction in the Chilean desert, for the first time light will be collected by the 8.4m mirror and travel through the telescope’s optical system. Rubin is one of the most ambitious astronomy projects we’ve ever seen - yes its seen all the usual technological advancements that come with a new observatory - but Rubin stands out due to the sheer scale of what its going to attempt to do. You see, unlike other telescopes which astronomers apply to use to focus in one specific object that they’re really interested in, Rubin will complete a full survey of the entire sky every three nights - splitting the sky up into a mosaic and going back night after night to collect more light and build up a picture of what’s in each part of the sky so that it can record the things that have changed in the sky each night - from supernova, to asteroids, or burping black holes. All of this together means that Rubin will collect a HUGE amount of data, its estimated that it will detect 20 billion objects in the sky over its 10 year survey, and flag 10 million things that change in the sky each night. Over its 10-year survey, it will collect around 60 petabytes of data! So with all that data, Rubin is set to change the face of astronomy forever, as long as we’re prepared for that deluge of data... https://lnkd.in/gByHpeKF