Thousands of satellites are polluting Australian skies, and threatening ancient Indigenous astronomy practices

[Admin]

The modern-day space race has led to thousands of satellites scattered through Earth's outer orbits that could push dark skies to extinction.

Thousands of satellites are polluting Australian skies, and threatening ancient Indigenous astronomy practices : Read more

 

[Mergatroid]

Can't stop progress. Western astronomers have also been complaining about this, but they get fortunes to put telescopes outside the atmosphere.
And I find it hard to believe aboriginals memorized every single visible object in the sky. There are literally thousands of them. Some of them are not always visible either, and some disappear or appear suddenly (over centuries).
Has anyone sat an abopriginal down and tested him to see if he can recreate the sky in it's entirety without looking?

 

[p3orion]

The thrust of this article --that we must take steps to "help" less-advanced indigenous peoples remain in their less-advanced state-- is obnoxiously paternalistic. In an earlier age, this was called the "noble savage" philosophy, and such "woke" nonsense is best left in that earlier age. These are not zoo exhibits; they're human beings, with as much right to enjoy the fruits of modern civilization as anyone else.

The author is posting her online article from Australia. I wonder how she would feel had the United States, which was largely responsible for the development of the internet, decided against sharing such an inevitably culture-shaking development with Australia, because we liked "our" Aussies the way they were?

I am as concerned as anyone about the effect that light pollution will have on the science of astronomy, potential effects on animal populations, and the aesthetics of ruining a peaceful night sky. But if some tribe wants to know if it's time to gather emu eggs, they can get a damn calendar.

 

[iconoclastmax]

The thrust of this article --that we must take steps to "help" less-advanced indigenous peoples remain in their less-advanced state-- is obnoxiously paternalistic. In an earlier age, this was called the "noble savage" philosophy, and such "woke" nonsense is best left in that earlier age. These are not zoo exhibits; they're human beings, with as much right to enjoy the fruits of modern civilization as anyone else.

The author is posting her online article from Australia. I wonder how she would feel had the United States, which was largely responsible for the development of the internet, decided against sharing such an inevitably culture-shaking development with Australia, because we liked "our" Aussies the way they were?

I am as concerned as anyone about the effect that light pollution will have on the science of astronomy, potential effects on animal populations, and the aesthetics of ruining a peaceful night sky. But if some tribe wants to know if it's time to gather emu eggs, they can get a damn calendar.

These indigenous people supposedly affected by satellites never have, and currently are not, doing any astronomy research or observation that is sophisticated enough to be affected by satellite pollution. If they are doing any at all, which I greatly doubt.