Threatened skies - astronomy in the era of satellite mega-constellations

The Gordon Patston Memorial Lecture for 2022

Guest Speaker: Fred Watson, Astronomer at Large

Title: Threatened skies - astronomy in the era of satellite mega-constellations

Abstract: Today, we are on the brink of a new era of satellite communications, with up to 100,000 spacecraft in low Earth-orbit by the end of the decade. This unprecedented crowding of orbital space is driven by cheaper launches and the demand for fast global Internet access. The likely impact on professional astronomy is well documented, and has led to the foundation of an international centre addressing the issue. But other affected communities include amateur astronomers, the interested general public and those with a cultural investment in the sky. This overview by Australia’s Astronomer-at-Large outlines both the threats and the opportunities that mega-constellations will bring to the world of skywatching.  

Biography: Professor Fred Watson is the Australian Government’s first Astronomer-at-Large, having worked at both of Britain’s Royal Observatories before serving as the Australian Astronomical Observatory's Astronomer-in-Charge from 1995 to 2015. He is best known today for his radio and TV broadcasts, books, music, dark-sky advocacy and co-hosting the Space Nuts podcast. Fred has adjunct positions in six Australian universities, and his awards and honours include the Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science in 2006 and an honorary Doctor of Science from Macquarie University in 2022. In January 2010, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to astronomy. A unique claim to fame is that Fred is the only Australian astronomer to have received an APRA music award! He also has an asteroid named after him (5691 Fredwatson), but says that if it hits the Earth, it won't be his fault.