The night sky is changing before our eyes

R&I NV – It’s easy to think of the night sky as a constant source of wonder that has changed little since the dawn of humankind.
But our view of the cosmos is changing because of the proliferation of satellites, such as those launched by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. In less than a decade, 1 out of every 15 points of light in the night sky will actually be a moving satellite — a big deal when you consider you can only see around 4,000 stars with the naked eye.
This satellite pollution could hamper our ability to detect — and possibly deflect — asteroids.
The changes are easy to miss if, like me, you live in a big city where light pollution obscures the night sky. My CNN colleague Kristin Fisher traveled to Saskatchewan, Canada, where the scale of the problem is clearer.

239ArchStreet

Article URL : https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/09/world/satellite-pollution-science-newsletter-wt-scn/index.html