Astronomers may face significant challenges in studying the early universe due to radio emissions from SpaceX's Starlink satellites, which are disrupting sensitive observations. Research led by Steven Tingay found that nearly 2,000 satellites emit signals that jeopardize a third of data at specific wavelengths. With over 7,600 Starlink satellites in orbit and plans for expansion, the issue is growing. Despite SpaceX's operations possibly violating telecommunications agreements, the emissions are likely unintentional, which complicates accountability and regulatory oversight.
If you look at the signal strength produced by these unintended emissions, it's not unusual for them to be comparable to the brightest natural radio sources in the sky.
It's like taking the strongest sources in the sky and putting a bunch more artificial ones in the sky and making them move around a lot - that has a lot of impact, especially on experiments that seek to be ultra-sensitive.
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