Comments on: 13,000 satellites around the Earth http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 18 May 2013 14:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Guysmiley http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886326 Guysmiley Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886326 That video is Very, Very Not To Scale. That video is Very, Very Not To Scale.

]]> By: obeyken http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886386 obeyken Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886386 Good point. In fact each of these satellites appear to be the approximate size of France. Good point. In fact each of these satellites appear to be the approximate size of France.

]]> By: rebdav http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886131 rebdav Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886131 And yet we still don't have a working geostationary amateur radio satellite in place. The Brazilians can hack FLTSATCOM and use it for CB chatter and the Geermans are planning an amateur radio probe to mars. When do we get our point and talk repeater in the sky? Still very cool though. And yet we still don’t have a working geostationary amateur radio satellite in place. The Brazilians can hack FLTSATCOM and use it for CB chatter and the Geermans are planning an amateur radio probe to mars. When do we get our point and talk repeater in the sky?
Still very cool though.

]]> By: Derrick http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886656 Derrick Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886656 If that actually was the actual size of satellites, NASA would have a pretty hard time launching anything without hitting something. If that actually was the actual size of satellites, NASA would have a pretty hard time launching anything without hitting something.

]]> By: rebdav http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886153 rebdav Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886153 For those who don't know current amateur radio sats require you to have an orbit prediction program loaded into your phone, computer, or PDA. A geostationary bird hangs in the same piece of sky day or night so a yaggi antenna on a tripod is all you need. For those who don’t know current amateur radio sats require you to have an orbit prediction program loaded into your phone, computer, or PDA. A geostationary bird hangs in the same piece of sky day or night so a yaggi antenna on a tripod is all you need.

]]> By: Rayonic http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886160 Rayonic Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886160 All those satillites must be helping Global Warming in some small way, since they are blocking some amount of sunlight from reaching the Earth. :-D All those satillites must be helping Global Warming in some small way, since they are blocking some amount of sunlight from reaching the Earth. :-D

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886163 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886163 What the distribution of satellites with regard to latitude? What the distribution of satellites with regard to latitude?

]]> By: Thorzdad http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886683 Thorzdad Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886683 NASA also offers its own real-time satellite tracker, J-Track 3D http://science.nasa.gov/realtime/jtrack/3d/jtrack3d.html NASA also offers its own real-time satellite tracker, J-Track 3D
http://science.nasa.gov/realtime/jtrack/3d/jtrack3d.html

]]> By: Dewi Morgan http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886939 Dewi Morgan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886939 I've got a question about geosynchronous sats (the ones that wiggle up and down, rather than being fixed at the equator, but are otherwise about the same distance out as the geostationary ones), that I've been pondering since finding J-Track 3D a few months ago. If you look at them, you'll find that on one side of the earth, they're mostly above the plane of the ecliptic (ie, they're mostly above the ring of geostationary ones). On the other side of the earth, they're mostly below it. If you accelerate time (which you can do on J-Track 3D), you'll see that although the satellites whiz round and round, the distribution of satellites (above on one side, below on the other) remains constant. Put another way: the point at which the majority of satellites cross through the ascending node is a stationary point relative to the sun. Why is this? I’ve got a question about geosynchronous sats (the ones that wiggle up and down, rather than being fixed at the equator, but are otherwise about the same distance out as the geostationary ones), that I’ve been pondering since finding J-Track 3D a few months ago.

If you look at them, you’ll find that on one side of the earth, they’re mostly above the plane of the ecliptic (ie, they’re mostly above the ring of geostationary ones). On the other side of the earth, they’re mostly below it.

If you accelerate time (which you can do on J-Track 3D), you’ll see that although the satellites whiz round and round, the distribution of satellites (above on one side, below on the other) remains constant.

Put another way: the point at which the majority of satellites cross through the ascending node is a stationary point relative to the sun.

Why is this?

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886433 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886433 FYI, just because the video says "satellite" does not mean every one of these objects is a refrigerator-sized comsat. You'll notice several instances of Westford Needles, which are just that: needles. This is the fallout (literally) from a project in the early sixties to create an artificial ionosphere over the Earth. MIT shot some half billion 2 cm copper needles into orbit to facilitate global radio communication. The needles were supposed to come down within three years, but of course, in any collection of half a billion things, there are going to be a few outliers. FYI, just because the video says “satellite” does not mean every one of these objects is a refrigerator-sized comsat. You’ll notice several instances of Westford Needles, which are just that: needles. This is the fallout (literally) from a project in the early sixties to create an artificial ionosphere over the Earth. MIT shot some half billion 2 cm copper needles into orbit to facilitate global radio communication. The needles were supposed to come down within three years, but of course, in any collection of half a billion things, there are going to be a few outliers.

]]> By: Niklas http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886189 Niklas Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886189 But then they are actively bombarding us with electromagnetic rays. Electromagnetic RAYS! Bombarding! :D But then they are actively bombarding us with electromagnetic rays. Electromagnetic RAYS! Bombarding! :D

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886204 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886204 SkyNet will be active in 3...2...1... SkyNet will be active in 3…2…1…

]]> By: thekevinmonster http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886219 thekevinmonster Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886219 The PC/Xbox game Mass Effect has a blurb in its 'encyclopedia' about how travel to Earth is somewhat difficult due to all the 'space junk' left in orbit around the planet due to humankind's 'bootstrap' space exploration efforts. That's the first thing I thought of when I saw this video. The PC/Xbox game Mass Effect has a blurb in its ‘encyclopedia’ about how travel to Earth is somewhat difficult due to all the ‘space junk’ left in orbit around the planet due to humankind’s ‘bootstrap’ space exploration efforts.

That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw this video.

]]> By: fxdrew http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886238 fxdrew Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886238 I'm surprised shuttles don't hit any of these during re-entry. I’m surprised shuttles don’t hit any of these during re-entry.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886242 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886242 i remember when getting just one tiny satellite up was a major news event.think about all the flawless launches it took to get those up. i remember when getting just one tiny satellite up was a major news event.think about all the flawless launches it took to get those up.

]]> By: Lobster http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886258 Lobster Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886258 Also: What Earth would look like if besieged by space bees. Also: What Earth would look like if besieged by space bees.

]]> By: Brainspore http://boingboing.net/2010/09/15/13000-satellites-aro.html#comment-886267 Brainspore Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-886267 Geez, it's like the opening shot from WALL*E. Geez, it’s like the opening shot from WALL*E.

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