Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
general
The high optical brightness of the BlueWalker 3 satellite
Nature, Volume 623, No. 7989, Year 2023
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Large constellations of bright artificial satellites in low Earth orbit pose significant challenges to ground-based astronomy1. Current orbiting constellation satellites have brightnesses between apparent magnitudes 4 and 6, whereas in the near-infrared Ks band, they can reach magnitude 2 (ref. 2). Satellite operators, astronomers and other users of the night sky are working on brightness mitigation strategies3,4. Radio emissions induce further potential risk to ground-based radio telescopes that also need to be evaluated. Here we report the outcome of an international optical observation campaign of a prototype constellation satellite, AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3. BlueWalker 3 features a 64.3 m2 phased-array antenna as well as a launch vehicle adaptor (LVA)5. The peak brightness of the satellite reached an apparent magnitude of 0.4. This made the new satellite one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Additionally, the LVA reached an apparent V-band magnitude of 5.5, four times brighter than the current International Astronomical Union recommendation of magnitude 7 (refs. 3,6); it jettisoned on 10 November 2022 (Universal Time), and its orbital ephemeris was not publicly released until 4 days later. The expected build-out of constellations with hundreds of thousands of new bright objects1 will make active satellite tracking and avoidance strategies a necessity for ground-based telescopes. © 2023, The Author(s).
Authors & Co-Authors
Nandakumar, S.
Chile, Copiapo
Universidad de Atacama
Eggl, Siegfried
United States, Urbana
University of Illinois Urbana-champaign
Tregloan-Reed, Jeremy
Chile, Copiapo
Universidad de Atacama
Benkhaldoun, Z.
Morocco, Marakech
Université Cadi Ayyad
Colque, J. P.
Chile, Antofagasta
Universidad de Antofagasta
Damke, G. J.
Unknown Affiliation
Plauchu-Frayn, I.
Unknown Affiliation
Ghachoui, Mourad
Morocco, Marakech
Université Cadi Ayyad
Guillén, P. F.
Unknown Affiliation
Kaeouach, A.
Unknown Affiliation
Rattenbury, Nicholas James
New Zealand, Auckland
The University of Auckland
Reddy, Vishnu
United States, Tucson
The University of Arizona
Ridden-Harper, R.
New Zealand, Christchurch
University of Canterbury
Unda-Sanzana, E.
Chile, Antofagasta
Universidad de Antofagasta
Watson, Alan M.
Mexico, Mexico
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Barentine, John C.
United States, Tucson
Llc
United States, Salt Lake City
The University of Utah
Di Vruno, Federico
United Kingdom, Macclesfield
Ska Organisation, uk
Peel, Mike W.
Spain, San Cristobal de la Laguna
Instituto Astrofisico de Canarias
Spain, San Cristobal de la Laguna
Universidad de la Laguna
United Kingdom, London
Imperial College London
Bassa, Cees G.
Netherlands, Dwingeloo
Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy
Longa-Pena, Penelope A.
Chile, Antofagasta
Universidad de Antofagasta
Soto, Mario
Chile, Copiapo
Universidad de Atacama
Statistics
Citations: 1
Authors: 21
Affiliations: 24
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1038/s41586-023-06672-7
ISSN:
00280836