Planned launch of communications satellites to impact our view of the night sky: U of R researcher
The planned launch of thousands of communications satellites in the coming years is expected to have a dramatic impact on the viewing of the night sky, according to a University of Regina researcher.
Samantha Lawler is an assistant professor of Astronomy at the University of Regina’s Campion College, and the lead researcher on a project predicting which regions of the world will be impacted most by satellites.
“We looked at the distribution of the orbits that satellite companies want to use and how bright they will be,” Lawler said.
The research determined the satellites are expected to generate the most light pollution at 50 degrees latitude North and South. This would impact cities like Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and London, England.
“Right here where I live near Regina is one of the worst places in the world. There will be hundreds of satellites that will be visible to the naked eye all night long,” she said.
The team of researchers has also developed an app, so people had see what the night sky could look like where they live.
“Those nights will be full of hundreds of satellites, and if they’re bright enough to see with your eye, then they’re bright enough to create serious problems for research astronomy,” Lawler said.
The researchers are calling for regulation on the number of satellites launched into space, and their light-reflecting properties.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.