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New software to save Hubble images from annoying satellite streaks

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After the first couple of batches of SpaxeX’s Starlink satellites were launched, astronomers got concerned: how would the satellites’ light affect the night sky? Their concerns soon proved to be justified, as the light streaks started to ruin observations of the night sky.

But researchers at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) have now come up with a solution. They’ve developed a tool that identifies the distinctive trails that satellites leave in Hubble photos. Thanks to this, space observations will be free from interfering light streaks not only from Starlink but from any artificial satellites out there.

Indian space agency shares photos of Earth as you’ve never seen before

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We’ve seen photos of the Earth from space many, many times. We’re used to seeing it as the “blue marble,” just as it was named in the iconic Apollo 17 image. But the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released photos of our planet as we’ve never seen before.

They show the Earth’s land in warm tones of red, yellow, and brown, giving us a whole new impression of the planet we call home.

This project puts you in charge of a satellite to let you take photos of Earth

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If you’ve always envied astronauts who can take jaw-dropping photos of the Earth from space, now you can do it to. Well, sort of. SkyFi has launched Earth Observation, a service that lets you access high-resolution photos of different places Earth, but you can also take your own. In other words, you can choose the place you want to shoot, and the team will instruct a SkyFi satellite to capture an image for you.

The CosmoCap is another camera body cap that lets you embed an Apple AirTag tracker

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The popularity of Apple AirTag always seems to be on the increase. With the amount of theft going on, particularly around photographers, it’s not much of a surprise that more and more photographers are taking to AirTag and similar tracking devices to ensure they know where their gear is at all times. The problem comes, though, when you’ve got an AirTag in your bag and thieves part out the gear while dumping the bag. Tracking takes you to an empty bag.

This is where the CosmoCap comes in. At least when it comes to the cameras themselves. It’s a camera body cap that lets you embed an Apple AirTag or similar tracking in its built-in slot. It’s a lot like the AirCap we featured a few months ago, and it’s of a similar price point (at least for now). But this one’s launching via Kickstarter instead of being sold directly. It’s also more of an ecosystem rather than a single product.

Europe’s switch to LED lights is visible from space, scientists are concerned

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In an attempt to reduce energy consumption and make street lighting more environmentally friendly, Europe has been switching to LEDs in its street lights. However, it’s not necessarily a good choice, at least not in all aspects.

The switch to LEDs is already visible from space, as well as the light pollution they cause. Of course, it’s not only our photos and the view of the night sky that are being affected. As scientists warm, the increased use of LED lights will also mess with living creatures and their life cycles, including both animals and humans.

NASA photos of Lake Mead’s extreme drought are a concerning illustration of climate change

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While my brain has been boiling at 39 degrees for weeks now, I can’t keep my mind of the climate change that’s happening right before our eyes. NASA recently released satellite images that illustrate this change perfectly.

The photos show the “bathtub ring” around Lake Mead taken in 2000, 2021 and 2022. Over the course of just two decades, you can see the rich lake turning into dry crevasses, reducing the America’s largest water reservoir to only 27% of its capacity!

This amazing tiny satellite selfie video was shot using an off-the-shelf GoPro action camera

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When we think of satellites, we often think of super high-tech state-of-the-art technology being sent up into space. We generally don’t think of them blasting up off-the-shelf electronics that many of us already have in our homes. Well, that’s exactly what the folks at NanoAvionics did when they attached a GoPro Hero 7 (Yes, not even a Hero 10!) to their MP42 microsatellite to capture selfies in space as it flew over the planet.

At 550km (~341 miles) above the earth’s surface, the GoPro attached to the MP42 capture photos of the satellite over the Coral sea and the Great Barrier Reef – the only living structure visible from space – along the north-east side of Australia. It also shot some excellent (and nowhere near long enough!) 4K video of the trip.

Microsoft’s new tool turns blurry satellite images into high-quality “drone photos”

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Last year, Microsoft announced Azure Space, a tool that brings together the possibilities of space with the power of the cloud. The company has now added a bunch of new capabilities to it, and some of the most interesting ones include “seeing” through clouds and turning blurry satellite images into high-quality photos that look like drone shots.

Nikon to dump GPS in favour of GNSS according to new camera registration

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First spotted back in early March after registration in Russia, and then in Indonesia in July, the unreleased Nikon camera, “N2014” (which Nikon Rumors believes may be the upcoming Nikon Z9 flagship) now has some interesting new news. It looks like it’ll ditch the more traditional GPS system in favour of GNSS according to the latest registration.

The news comes via Nokishita and says that as well as featuring the standard WiFi and Bluetooth, the N2014 camera will also utilise the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), which should offer more accurate positioning data. If true, this would mark the first consumer camera to include GNSS support.

Nikon turns to space, investing $91,000,000 in aerospace 3D printing manufacturer Morf3D

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I was wondering what Nikon was going to do to keep itself alive with an ever-shrinking camera market that seems to be slowly but surely turning its back on the 103-year-old company in favour of Sony and Canon. Well, it turns out they’re investing in space. To be more specific, they’ve invested as the major shareholder in US startup Morf3D.

Morf3D is an additive manufacturing company supplying the aerospace industry, supplying companies like Boeing, and according to Nikkei Asia, the deal sees Nikon investing 10 billion yen (~$91 million) in the company, becoming a majority stakeholder. This puts Nikon in the supply change for small satellites, a growing market in the aerospace industry.

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