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Elon Musk plans to dim the Starlink satellites to reduce light pollution in the night sky

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SpaceX’s Starlink satellites have been controversial since before the first round of them were launched. Having recently launched more, which is going to keep happening for a while, the debates have sparked up again. There are currently 422 of the anticipated 12,000 (with 30,000 more applied for) Starlink satellites floating around our planet, and they’re already upsetting people.

The two main reasons (if we remove all the tinfoil hat conspiracies) are that they will ruin our view of the night sky, which really sucks for astrophotography, and that it will make certain scientific studies all but impossible due to their overpowering brightness relative to the dim lights littered throughout the universe. Elon Musk has now said, though, they’re working on making them dimmer.

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NASA needs your help to track light pollution and all you need is your smartphone

Astronomers have been worried about the effect of satellites, as heir increasing number in the orbit is posing a problem for night skies observation. We can’t do anything to remove them – but we can now help monitor the problem. With its new project Satellite Streak Watcher, NASA asks everyone to help to track the population growth of satellites over time. And all you need is a smartphone camera.

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This calendar shows the best days of the year to shoot the Milky Way in 2020

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Milky Way photography is one of the most fascinating types of photography, but to shoot the most appealing part of our galaxy, the Milky Way center, you need to plan your shot since it’s not always visible.

The galactic center is only visible during a specific season (March to September in the Northern Hemisphere and February to October in the Southern Hemisphere), and also, just for a few hours during the night.

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Astronomers worried as SpaceX’s Starlink satellites ruin their observation of the night skies

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The first batch of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites was launched in May this year, making astronomers worried about how they would affect the night sky. Now that the second batch has been launched, the astronomers’ concerns are becoming a reality.

On Monday 18 November, two astronomers checked the image of their remotely operated telescope in Chile. But instead of a clear night sky, they saw a bunch of light trails from Starlink satellites.

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This stunning photo shows the ISS as it crosses the spotless sun

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Seattle-based photographer Rainee Colacurcio has recently captured a stunning image of the International Space Station (ISS) caught passing in front of the sun. What’s more, the sun is completely free of spots, which makes this photo totally captivating. I personally couldn’t stop staring at it, and NASA recently selected it for Astronomy Photo of the Day, explaining why it is so special.

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Shortlisted photos of 2019 Astronomy Photographer of the Year will take your breath away

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Here’s a real treat for all astrophotography fans and space enthusiasts. Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year has just announced its shortlisted images of the 2019 competition. And just like in the previous years, the selected images are absolutely breathtaking!

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Astrophotographers, this is how Starlink satellites will affect the night skies

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On 23 May, the first 60 SpaceX’s Starlink satellites were successfully launched into orbit. They were caught on camera and they look spectacular while orbiting around the Earth together. However, the ultimate plan is to launch nearly 12,000 of these satellites. Have you wondered how it will affect the night skies? Astronomers are concerned that they will pollute the night sky, and astrophotography is only one of the areas that could be hindered by this many satellites in the orbit.

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This is the first ever image of a supermassive black hole

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For the first time ever, we can see a photo of a supermassive black hole. National Science Foundation and Event Horizon Telescope captured the gigantic black hole and its shadow at the heart of distant galaxy Messier 87. And today, they shared their impressive image with the world.

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This solar system photo was composited from photos shot from a photographer’s backyard

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Photographer Andrew McCarthy has recently published a breathtaking image of the Solar System. The photo is a composite made from the images he took, but what makes it even more impressive is that all the photos were taken from his own backyard. Andrew shared some details with DIYP and explained how he got all the photos, as well as the final image.

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