Satellite mega-constellations risk ruining astronomy forever

"Astronomers need to rely on this goodwill from the satellite operators. There is no technical or regulatory obstacle to launching a constellation of ultra-bright satellites that might render many or most astronomy programs impossible. "

Unfortunately, as the AAS paper highlights, the higher the orbit, the longer the satellite stays in the field of view. It might be a little less bright, but for all intents and purposes, it’s just as disruptive to astronomical observations—for potentially the entire night. The report recommends that companies refrain from putting constellations above an altitude of 600 kilometers.

I found this was very informative, thanks! Recently I was supposed to be on a romantic evening walk. I looked up at the night sky and asked the guy (whom I knew to be a big space exploration enthusiast) about one of the stars I really liked. He explained that it was an internet satellite. Cue shattering visions of a looming dystopian future that caught me completely off-guard in my dreamy mental state.

Nice project