There are quite a few stars visible while I'm out doing evening chores now, so I spend a lot of time glancing up while moving between tasks.
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There are quite a few stars visible while I'm out doing evening chores now, so I spend a lot of time glancing up while moving between tasks.
Just now, I glanced up at Cassiopeia and there were so many satellites, I actually felt dizzy while my brain struggled to figure out what was stationary and was was moving. Around the 5 stars visible in Cassiopeia were 4 crawling satellites (all brighter than the stars). While I stared, there was a bright flash from a tumbling piece of space junk.
@sundogplanets It’s reassuring that even professional astronomers spend time just looking at the sky and marveling (albeit far more knowledgeably than I can), rather than just running simulations, staring at photos in non-visible wavelengths, etc…
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I was accused of being sensationalist or exaggerating when our 2022 research paper predicted one in 15 visible points in the sky would be a moving satellite. I think maybe we were actually too conservative.
I hate this so very very much.
@sundogplanets I'm most worried that Musk will manage to damage the ozone layer enough to have Permian style mutations, and everyone will actually starve to death while dying of cancer.
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There are quite a few stars visible while I'm out doing evening chores now, so I spend a lot of time glancing up while moving between tasks.
Just now, I glanced up at Cassiopeia and there were so many satellites, I actually felt dizzy while my brain struggled to figure out what was stationary and was was moving. Around the 5 stars visible in Cassiopeia were 4 crawling satellites (all brighter than the stars). While I stared, there was a bright flash from a tumbling piece of space junk.
That's so fucking sad.
I have too much light-pollution where I'm at to see much at all but I remember being a kid and watching the stars at night.
It was always a semi-religious experience seeing them and knowing the light they cast had traveled for so many years before a bit of it bounce off of my retinas.
These fucking people take far more than they give.
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@sundogplanets I'm most worried that Musk will manage to damage the ozone layer enough to have Permian style mutations, and everyone will actually starve to death while dying of cancer.
Speaking of... Have you heard that Tesla and Space-X are doing a joint program selling portable ozone spheres? The investors are all very excited.
(The above is intended as satire, for clarity. I don't _think_ it's true. I swear I _just_ made it up.)
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There are quite a few stars visible while I'm out doing evening chores now, so I spend a lot of time glancing up while moving between tasks.
Just now, I glanced up at Cassiopeia and there were so many satellites, I actually felt dizzy while my brain struggled to figure out what was stationary and was was moving. Around the 5 stars visible in Cassiopeia were 4 crawling satellites (all brighter than the stars). While I stared, there was a bright flash from a tumbling piece of space junk.
Grrrr.
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I was accused of being sensationalist or exaggerating when our 2022 research paper predicted one in 15 visible points in the sky would be a moving satellite. I think maybe we were actually too conservative.
I hate this so very very much.
@sundogplanets I went to a dark sky site for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn’t believe it.
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There are quite a few stars visible while I'm out doing evening chores now, so I spend a lot of time glancing up while moving between tasks.
Just now, I glanced up at Cassiopeia and there were so many satellites, I actually felt dizzy while my brain struggled to figure out what was stationary and was was moving. Around the 5 stars visible in Cassiopeia were 4 crawling satellites (all brighter than the stars). While I stared, there was a bright flash from a tumbling piece of space junk.
@sundogplanets I've seen more than a few of those bright flashes and couldn't figure out what they might be. Thanks for answering that question.
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There are quite a few stars visible while I'm out doing evening chores now, so I spend a lot of time glancing up while moving between tasks.
Just now, I glanced up at Cassiopeia and there were so many satellites, I actually felt dizzy while my brain struggled to figure out what was stationary and was was moving. Around the 5 stars visible in Cassiopeia were 4 crawling satellites (all brighter than the stars). While I stared, there was a bright flash from a tumbling piece of space junk.
I was very remote in the Sierra Nevadas for the Perseids.
So many satellites, but also one of the best shower shows in decades.
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I was accused of being sensationalist or exaggerating when our 2022 research paper predicted one in 15 visible points in the sky would be a moving satellite. I think maybe we were actually too conservative.
I hate this so very very much.
@sundogplanets
I was absolutely shocked the last time I visited my parents' farm out in the country and looked up at the night sky. It was not long ago at all when spotting a satellite still felt kind of cool because of its rarity. Now there were literally multiple in my field of vision at all times. It's not the *most* acutely I've felt our current dystopia but it's hard to shake that particular image. -
There are quite a few stars visible while I'm out doing evening chores now, so I spend a lot of time glancing up while moving between tasks.
Just now, I glanced up at Cassiopeia and there were so many satellites, I actually felt dizzy while my brain struggled to figure out what was stationary and was was moving. Around the 5 stars visible in Cassiopeia were 4 crawling satellites (all brighter than the stars). While I stared, there was a bright flash from a tumbling piece of space junk.
@sundogplanets I remember when seeing a satellite in the night sky was a moment for wonder, not just another type of spam. Sigh.
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I was accused of being sensationalist or exaggerating when our 2022 research paper predicted one in 15 visible points in the sky would be a moving satellite. I think maybe we were actually too conservative.
I hate this so very very much.
@sundogplanets I’ve mourned the loss of the nightly darkness to artificial lighting for decades. So sad that it would be difficult to enjoy the heavenly splendour even if I would be somewhere without light pollution.
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That's so fucking sad.
I have too much light-pollution where I'm at to see much at all but I remember being a kid and watching the stars at night.
It was always a semi-religious experience seeing them and knowing the light they cast had traveled for so many years before a bit of it bounce off of my retinas.
These fucking people take far more than they give.
When oligarchs prepare for a war, this is what it looks like... vast seemingly inexplicable expenditures.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/05/13/trump-tech-execs-riyadh/
https://newrepublic.com/post/195190/elon-musk-donald-trump-saudi-trip-promote-businesses
https://gulfif.org/saudi-arabias-f-35-deal-is-taking-shape/
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/09/18/trump-saudi-arabia-f-35-houthis-iran-war.html
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/dispatches-epertsreact-wide-template-20260818/
https://newrepublic.com/post/216758/elon-musk-trump-ukraine-starlink-restrictions
The fossil fuel industry isn't going to give up its hegemony willingly.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-saudi-arabia-ai-b2750164.htmlhttps://www.jalopnik.com/1859184/musk-us-saudi-arms-deal-tesla-starlink/
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I was very remote in the Sierra Nevadas for the Perseids.
So many satellites, but also one of the best shower shows in decades.
@Littlebobbytables @sundogplanets Watching the Perseids when you're way up in the mountains is a banger. Watched them when I was in the Wind Rivers around 15 years ago, and OMG. Really?
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There are quite a few stars visible while I'm out doing evening chores now, so I spend a lot of time glancing up while moving between tasks.
Just now, I glanced up at Cassiopeia and there were so many satellites, I actually felt dizzy while my brain struggled to figure out what was stationary and was was moving. Around the 5 stars visible in Cassiopeia were 4 crawling satellites (all brighter than the stars). While I stared, there was a bright flash from a tumbling piece of space junk.
@sundogplanets
I hate watching the night sky I have to think of an asshole -
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