Summary Photometric Characterization of Starlink Generation 2 Satellites arxiv.org
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This study investigates the brightness characteristics of Starlink Generation 2 Mini satellites, finding that they can be very bright, particularly during early mission phases, and compares their brightness to other Starlink spacecraft.
Slides
Slide Presentation (7 slides)
Key Points
- The study focuses on the photometric characterization of Starlink Generation 2 Mini satellites, evaluating their brightness through observations and measurements of magnitudes.
- The distribution of apparent brightness for the Mini satellites shows a peak at magnitude 2.0, while the peak for distance-adjusted magnitudes is at 3.5.
- The mean values for apparent magnitudes and distance-adjusted magnitudes are 5.52 +/- 0.08 and 4.46 +/- 0.10, respectively.
- The study discusses the brightness mitigation mode of the satellites, which reduces their luminosity by a factor of 12.
- The research compares the brightness of the Mini satellites to other Starlink spacecraft and finds that they have the least brightness per surface area.
- The study highlights the potential impact of the Mini satellites on astronomical observations and the concerns raised by researchers and amateur astronomers regarding satellite interference.
Summary
466 word summary
This study focuses on the photometric characterization of Starlink Generation 2 Mini satellites. The brightness of these satellites is evaluated through observations and measurements of their magnitudes. The distribution of apparent brightness for the Mini satellites shows a peak at magnitude 2.0, while the peak for distance-adjusted magnitudes is at 3.5. The mean values for apparent magnitudes and distance-adjusted magnitudes are 5.52 +/- 0.08 and 4.46 +/- 0.10, respectively. The study also discusses the brightness mitigation mode of the satellites and the effect of different phases on their luminosity. The results indicate that the Gen 2 Mini satellites can be very bright, especially during early mission phases and on-station operations. The study compares the brightness of the Mini satellites to that of other Starlink spacecraft and finds that they have the least brightness per surface area. The relative luminosities and luminosities per unit of surface area are normalized to provide a comparison. The research also mentions the use of video observations and data processing techniques to derive the magnitudes of the satellites. Overall, the study contributes to the understanding of the brightness characteristics of Starlink Generation 2 Mini satellites and their potential impact on astronomical observations. The summary of the text excerpt is as follows:
Paragraph 1: The Starlink Generation 2 satellites reached a maximum altitude of 480 km in early May, with some initially orbiting at 350 km. Satellites at 480 km became a priority for observation.
Paragraph 2: Three spacecraft from launch 6-1 ascended to 480 km by late April and remained at that altitude. SpaceX informed that the satellites from launch 6-2 were experiencing issues and some would be deorbited while others would be tested.
Paragraph 3: The first 21 spacecraft from Starlink launch 6-1 were placed into orbit in February, with some remaining at an initial altitude of 370 km or descending. The Mini spacecraft antenna panel has an area of 11.07 m2, while the total area including the solar arrays is 116.03 m2.
Paragraph 4: The paper reports on brightness measurements of Mini satellites obtained at visible wavelengths. SpaceX has developed an improved reflective layer for their Gen 2 satellites to minimize brightness and address concerns of astronomers.
Paragraph 5: The brightness mitigation mode reduces the luminosity of the Starlink Generation 2 Mini satellites by a factor of 12. The mean apparent magnitudes for these satellites are fainter than Gen 1 spacecraft despite their larger size.
Paragraph 6: The International Astronomical Union has established a Centre to address satellite interference, and the number of Starlink spacecraft and their luminosity are concerns for researchers and amateur astronomers.
Paragraph 7: The paper includes sections on satellite dimensions and orbits, photometric measurement methods, findings in the context of related studies, and conclusions.
Note: The summary does not include specific numerical values or contact information.