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Impact of Space Debris and Space Reflectors on Ground-Based Astronomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2016

D. McNally
D. McNally*
Affiliation:
University of London Observatory, Mill Hill Park, London NW7 2QS, UK
*
1Current address: 17 Greenfield, Hatfield, Herts AL9 5HW, UK

Abstract

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Astronomical fields under observation are being increasingly crossed by satellites. Such crossings either leave a “trail” on a photographic or CCD image, or corrupt a photographic observation. Such trailing/corruption may render an observation useless for scientific analysis. There is also the much more serious problem posed by suggestions to put solar reflectors in space for Earth illumination, artistic, celebratory or advertising purposes and, by extension, to longer term suggestions of ways to utilise dark time rather than twilight time. It is only a matter of time until the solar reflector becomes proven technology. The time left for decisive action may be very short.

Type
Part 3. Space Debris
Information
Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 196: Preserving the Astronomical Sky , 2001 , pp. 188 - 192
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2001 

References

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