iodine_breakfast t1_jafpd2z wrote on March 1, 2023 at 2:32 AM

Reply to comment by beef-o-lipso in Satellite Constellations Are an Existential Threat for Astronomy by ChieftainMcLeland

Oh please, we have multiple telescopes in space already. There is no "existential threat" to astronomy. The hyperbole is all I am pointing out here, I don't disagree there will be significant impact.

Goregue t1_jai8emq wrote on March 1, 2023 at 5:00 PM

The vast majority of astronomy research is made using ground-based telescopes. It's completely illusory to think that we could simply launch everything into space.

[deleted] t1_jaia7y4 wrote on March 1, 2023 at 5:12 PM

Correct, astronomy will cease to exist. See how dumb that sounds?

Goregue t1_jaifcml wrote on March 1, 2023 at 5:44 PM

If ground-based telescope are made unusable, astronomy will stagnate and will pretty much stop to exist. No one will be able to pursue a carer in astronomy when no research projects are possible. Even if space telescopes still exist and a fraction of ground-based telescopes are still usable, astronomy will not be sustainable. Astronomers are not doing science just for fun, they need money to survive and if astronomy cant provide this, they will be forced to move to another field.

Sealingni t1_jaig6ya wrote on March 1, 2023 at 5:49 PM

Sounds excessive. You can see no future where observations from the ground can continue?

ChieftainMcLeland OP t1_jafpwvz wrote on March 1, 2023 at 2:36 AM

How many important ground based observations have been made while space based satellites are looking in another direction? Rhetorical of course but still.

iodine_breakfast t1_jafqmbp wrote on March 1, 2023 at 2:41 AM

I'll say this one last time but I'm not going to beat a dead horse with more replies afterwards: The article title is clickbait garbage. Existential threat has an actual definition that is well understood, and it means threat of being 100% wiped out. This is clearly not the case, despite real concerns for terrestrial astronomy.