this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2024
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Astronomy

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Observations with the LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) radio telescope last year showed that first generation Starlink satellites emit unintended radio waves that can hinder astronomical observations. New observations with the LOFAR radio telescope, the biggest radio telescope on Earth observing at low frequencies, have shown that the second generation ’V2-mini’ Starlink satellites emit up to 32 times brighter unintended radio waves than satellites from the previous generation, potentially blinding radio telescopes and crippling vital research of the Universe.

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[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.world 7 points 3 hours ago

Can we just do things the conservative way and lay more wire?

And where that doesn't help, use packet radio links?

And where that doesn't help, use mesh networks?

Why do they have to do it all the ugly and pretentious way?

[–] riodoro1@lemmy.world 9 points 5 hours ago

But people are still shilling for starlink. I was always downvoted for mentioning the kessler syndrome or light pollution. All for progress, I guess we really need that fast internet in the middle of the atlantic.

[–] mvirts@lemmy.world 21 points 12 hours ago

Time for astronomy to destroy Elon Musk

[–] WalnutLum@lemmy.ml 28 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Looking forward to when Europe and China also launch their own satellite internet constellations

Loved that manga, I should re-read it and try watching the show again.

[–] pennomi@lemmy.world 80 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Obviously this is a problem for radio astronomers. I keep hoping we’ll build the proposed Lunar Crater Telescope so we can have a truly silent view of the universe.

[–] DScratch@sh.itjust.works 26 points 23 hours ago (3 children)

And then let people move there to get away from Elon.

[–] baduhai@sopuli.xyz 25 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

And consequently create radio chatter and disturb the Lunar Crater Telescope :(

[–] DScratch@sh.itjust.works 11 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

I’ll be very quiet. Promise.

[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 8 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (2 children)

How are you going to shit post on the internet with no wifi, then? 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz are loud af

[–] sneezycat@sopuli.xyz 9 points 20 hours ago (1 children)
[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 5 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Where is that ethernet cable getting internet from on the moon without there being a loud as fuck antenna?

[–] lath@lemmy.world 10 points 18 hours ago (1 children)
[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 5 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

So then you won't be able to be quiet due to the screaming and moans coming from the cacaphony of lost souls within the Warp

[–] lath@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago

Eh, just treat it as ASMR.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)
[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 2 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

Ethernet protocol can't reach the earth from the moon without there being a loud af antenna on either side

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 2 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Fiber line to the bright side of the moon; transceiver there.

[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 1 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

For multi-mode (full duplex) you would still need a power amp repeater every 500 meters, which requires a lot of power and create noise. You can't be quiet with noise.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 1 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Even if you make them sub-surface, or otherwise shield them from the FOV of the antenna?

[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 2 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

Yes, because there's no way to transmit power or data anywhere without being loud af in any signal spectrum. It's physically impossible.

Even with fiber, you need a laser to beam the signal, and a powerful amp on the moon to recieve the signal and boost it with fuck ton of high power repeaters to the other side of the moon which is also loud af

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 1 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Be that as it may, it’d be minimal compared to the interference that terrestrial radio observatories have to deal with.

I guess I’m just saying that I don’t understand why you’re being so negative about the concept when it’s clearly going to be orders of magnitude better than existing antennae.

[–] BaroqueInMind@lemmy.one 1 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

True. When can we visit said hypothetical moon base?

Wanna go next Tuesday? I’m pretty sure I’m free then.

[–] Steve@startrek.website 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

And how would they get there?

[–] lath@lemmy.world 6 points 18 hours ago

Lunar space elevator obviously.

[–] Caligvla@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 22 hours ago

Nah. Move him there, alone, forever.

[–] anarchrist@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 23 hours ago

I would also consider a proposal to install elon musk at that location.

[–] MrSpArkle@lemmy.ca 39 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Elon is a nazi but this was always bound to happen as we expand our presence in space.

Imagine the radio signature of any of the hundreds of orbital megastructures in sci fi.

[–] qjkxbmwvz@startrek.website 51 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

this was always bound to happen as we expand our presence in space.

Yes and no


from a different article:

Radiation associated with Starlink satellites was detected at observing frequencies between 110 and 188 MHz, which is well below the 10.7- 12.7 GHz radio frequencies used for the downlink communication signals.

(The original article said 5M radiation, which should be around 60MHz.)

So Starlink is emitting RF in spectrum where they shouldn't, which is avoidable, but takes effort.

My guess, and I could be wrong, is that this could be related to something other than the radio(s), such as switching power supplies finding opportunistic structures from which to radiate.

[–] Comment105@lemm.ee 3 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

Starlink seems like a genuinely interesting and useful technology, in some ways.

But it also seems like it might not be worth having.

I'm thinking they might need to be deorbited, but I'm not confident in that yet. It sounds like it might be fixable in a new generation of Internet constellation satellites.

Idk how long the issue should be tolerated to wait for that, though. And while Starlink has a good amount of customers this kind of Internet is genuinely useful for, it's still not a lot compared to all the other internet services.

Maybe Starlink deorbiting should come along with an expansion of the traditional communications network. But maybe it would be extremely expensive to reach Starlink's customers with towers or cables.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 1 points 4 hours ago

China is putting up their own equivalent system. Terrestrial radio telescopes are fucked.

Time for a moon base.

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 34 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

Some of Musk's bootlickers have said to me, offline in person, that the le epic Starlink debris in space fucking with astronomy (as it has for a while now) "will only encourage the exodus off planet" followed by the PR spiel about "humans must become interplanetary species."

May as well say that the cradle must be burned with the baby in it so the baby is encouraged to compete in Olympic track and field.

[–] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 3 points 11 hours ago

All those sci-fi movies about human beings acting as an interplanetary infection only to find retribution at the hands (paws? Claws? Appendages) of an eldritch creature taught us nothing 😔

[–] lurch@sh.itjust.works 3 points 14 hours ago
[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 19 points 23 hours ago (1 children)
[–] vovchik_ilich@hexbear.net 3 points 13 hours ago

Nah, that's a fucking euphemism, we need a better word to describe it

[–] AOCapitulator@hexbear.net 10 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

It is the moral imperative of all living humans to strive to murder Elon must as soon as possible

[–] Thordros@hexbear.net 8 points 22 hours ago (1 children)
[–] featured@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 21 hours ago
[–] shirro@aussie.zone -1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

I have not heard a car for a few hours. Not even the rumble of traffic in the distance and I can see the night sky without light pollution. It is a very privileged experience in some ways and while it has its advantages we are measurably disadvantaged in most human development metrics: health, education, income etc compared to people living in urban areas of our own country. The disadvantage is real and pops up everywhere from cancer survivability to suicide rates. Equitable internet access is more important than many people appreciate. If we can improve services to everyone AND protect radio astronomy that is a worthy goal.

[–] jmcs@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

Fiber is dirty cheap, just saying. If you consider externalities, much cheaper than starlink. You just want us to subsidise your lifestyle.

[–] palitu@aussie.zone 3 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

Maybe they are farmers? Apparently they have to live quote remote.

I have family that use it as there is nothing else available

Edit: fiber is cheap, but the land and labour required is not.

[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

Any chance the Starlink satellites could be built to double as a sort of large-array telescope themselves, to compensate for the ground-based interference?

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

What's more likely to happen is Starship’s will be launched where the entire ship becomes the telescope, and then we'll have arrays of these much further away.

Not sure if it's the same for radio, but for optical that means we can get a 9 meter mirror up there without any expensive folding mechanism, and who knows how big if we fold them as the fairing is not only wider but also longer.

Cost would go from billions to hundreds of millions or less. James Webb cost 10b.

The James Webb folding mirror is 6.5m and was folded into a 4.5m fairing...