Dr. John Barentine FRAS

On the front page of spaceweather.com today: "Last month, astronomer Gerald Rhemann attempted to photograph Comet Wierzchoś (C/2024 E1) during its closest approach to Earth. The comet was outnumbered 10:1 by #satellites.

"It's about to worsen. Right now, Earth is surrounded by almost 10,000 Starlinks with future plans calling for 42,000. Amazon’s Project Kuiper has begun launching its own planned 3,200-satellite broadband fleet, while China is building two more megaconstellations: Guowang (13,000 satellites) and "Qianfan" ("Thousand Sails", 15,000-plus). Together, they could eventually rival Starlink or even surpass it."

#Space #Astronomy

Registration is open for IAU Symposium 409 ("Innovative Research and Techniques in Astronomy Communication") to be held in Tokyo and online 2-6 November 2026.

More information, registration, abstract submission and travel grant application links are on: https://iau.org/Iau/News/Ann2026/IAUS409.aspx

#Astronomy #Communication #SciComm #Conferences

PLAN-B's "Review of light and noise pollution impacts on terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem services" is now published.

PDF: https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/541152/1/PLAN-B%20D1.1Review-Of-Light-And-Noise-Pollution-Impacts-On-Terrestrial-Biodiversity-And-Ecosystem-Services.pdf

#ALAN #LightPollution #Noise #EcosystemServices #Ecology #Pollution #Environment

"Despite the vast scale of the issue of light pollution, long-term research and widespread knowledge is lacking. I would therefore like to call on all readers to spread awareness about light pollution and related environmental issues that impact communities today. By taking collective action, society can work towards the transformation of the Anthropocene, into a posthumanist era where humans and nature collaborate to build homes in an entangled web of sacred mutualism. We could then create a sustainable world where environmental and animal rights become equal to human ones. This shift in thought may ultimately lead to a shift in action. So we might finally see the sky again."

https://www.diggitmagazine.com/light-pollution-anthropocene-environmental-cost-illumination

#Environment #LightPollution #Nature #RightsOfNature

From @esoastronomy@mastodon.social's comment to the U.S. Federal Communication Commission on the #ReflectOrbital filing for clearance to operate an orbital sunlight reflector: “ESO expresses support for the submissions to the FCC by the global astronomical community and emphasises that the deployment of sunlight as a service will have far reaching implications to the #environment, and human health.”

#Astronomy #SunlightAsAService #Space #Satellites

This morning's total #LunarEclipse as seen from Tucson, Arizona, in a three-image sequence.

Astronomers for Planet Earth statement on both the pending Reflect Orbital and @SpaceX@mstdn.social 1M orbital data centers applications to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission: "A4E is firmly opposed to these projects, which compromise our field of interest, astronomy, and threaten the ecosystem and dark sky."

https://mailchi.mp/a3f870943c46/a4e-newsletter-q3-10346144

#Space #Satellites #SunlightAsAService #DataCenters #Environment #FCC

Some interesting history of #astronomy work by Fabio Falchi and co-workers showing that a modern adaptation of Ole Rømer's 17th century method of measuring the speed of light in vacuum yields a result within 1% of the modern value.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6404/ae3f66

#Physics

The bird-friendly “Addendum o” to ASHRAE 189.1 / International Green Construction Code is officially published. This is now available for jurisdictions to add on their own if they want, and it will be automatically incorporated into the full ASHRAE 189.1-2026 and 2027 IgCC.

Its scope statement now reads: “This section addresses requirements for building projects that pertain to site selection, site development, mitigation of heat island effect, light pollution reduction, bird-friendly design, and mitigation of transportation impacts.”

https://www.ashrae.org/file%20library/technical%20resources/standards%20and%20guidelines/standards%20addenda/189_1_2023_o_20260130.pdf

#LightPollution #Sustainability #Architecture

Can we have vibrant cities AND #DarkSkies? Lighting designer Vellachi Ganesan shares how precision optics and smart tech are revolutionary advancements for creating better outdoor spaces and protecting the night sky.

http://www.darkskyconsulting.com/blog/vellachi-ganesan-interview-mar2026

#Lighting #OutdoorLighting #LightingDesign

Thanks to @khulick@sciencemastodon.com for this great @skyandtelescope@bird.makeup piece on the @SpaceX@mstdn.social "one million orbital data centers" proposal.

"Let that number sink in for a moment. That’s 100 times more satellites than the company’s current Starlink constellation."

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/spacex-aims-to-launch-1-million-ai-data-center-satellites/

#Space #Satellites #DataCenters #SpaceX #FCC

"[T]he presence of [artificial light at night] can disrupt the proper functioning of not only humans but all organisms on Earth that have evolved in conditions of alternating day and night. Cities are the primary source of LP, and the ever-increasing global urbanization makes LP one of the fastest-growing threats to our civilization. It is particularly dangerous because public awareness of its existence is exceptionally weak."

https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4672/6/1/11

#ALAN #LightPollution #DarkSkies #Pollution #Environment