Starlink

[Ittiz]

This is a good place to discuss the upcoming Starlink, the good the bad ect... and what you think.

I live in the sticks with really poor internet so my perspective may be biased but I see Starlink and similar networks as a good development. It will finally force these companies, which could easily provide good internet, a minimum standard that have to keep up with. No more "well dial up is 56k and 128k is twice the speed so that's all we need to provide." BS It'll probably also eventually mean cell phones that work anywhere without bank breaking bills.

What do others think about this?

 

[rod]

From posts I have read on other sites by those who regularly use telescopes and binoculars for stargazing, the thought of many thousands of orbiting, small satellites did not go over well. I know periodically I see satellites moving by in the telescope view (polar and equatorial orbiting), sometimes they flash sunlight into my eyepiece although briefly. I am concerned what may happen to the night sky.

 

[Ittiz]

There may be ways to reduce that issue though, darker colored satellites. If your satellites are dark on the earth facing side then the only thing you'll need to do is maybe expose a tiny amount longer as one passes in front of the object you're imaging.

 

[Catastrophe]

Isn't it getting close to the danger of hitting these things with more and more being sent up there? If you destabilise the 'average' satellite, is it going to burn up in the atmosphere or is enough left to do serious damage?