Prof. Sam Lawler shared a pretty eye-opening update on Mastodon about his recent presentation at a local planetary journal club. He discussed three articles he co-authored for The Conversation, all revolving around the impact of a million satellites on our night sky, atmosphere, and orbital environment. Spoiler alert: it’s not good news.
In his post, Lawler highlighted the grim reality that too many satellites could lead to some serious issues, even calling it a potential catastrophe for Earth’s orbit. He also mentioned a piece on light pollution that he expected to be published soon, but it looks like it might be delayed until after the weekend.
The reactions to his post have been quite strong, with 133 favorites and 177 reblogs, showing that this topic is resonating with a lot of people. It seems like the idea of a ‘space race’ and its consequences is something that has struck a chord, sparking conversations and concerns about our future in space.
Lawler’s approach to sharing this information in a casual manner makes it accessible, and the urgency of the subject matter has clearly caught the attention of his followers. With so many satellites already up there, it’s no wonder folks are engaging with this discussion.
If you want to dive deeper into the specifics of his articles, you can check out the link he provided about how the atmosphere could become a “crematorium for satellites.” It’s definitely a thought-provoking read that many are eager to discuss.
