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Posts Tagged ‘Pollution’

Elon Musk reveals how SpaceX will address light pollution caused by Starlink satellites

28 Apr

Following the successful launch of its Starlink 6 batch of satellites last week, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted out a few details about night sky light pollution caused by these low Earth orbit satellites and the company’s plans to address this issue.

According to the tweet, SpaceX is taking ‘some key steps to reduce satellite brightness,’ something that Musk says should make them ‘much less noticeable during orbit raise.’ This change involves adjusting the solar panel angle, according to the tweet, plus there will be a new addition to the satellites starting with the Starlink 9 launch: sunshades.

It’s unclear how drastically these changes will reduce the brightness of its satellites, but the move underscores SpaceX’s efforts to address concerns about light pollution caused by these small satellites.

The Starlink initiative aims to launch thousands of small low-Earth orbit satellites that will beam Internet service to the ground, providing high-speed broadband access in places where it’s unavailable from terrestrial providers, or where only slow and expensive options are available. Musk said in a tweet following the Starlink 6 launch that the company plans to start a private beta of the Starlink service in around three months.

Renewed attention to the issue of light pollution caused by low-Earth orbit satellites was spurred with the launch of NASA’s Satellite Streak Watcher project in early March. In explaining the reason for the initiative, the space agency said that the increasing number of these satellites launched into orbit makes things more difficult for astronomers on the ground.

The light pollution caused by these satellites is also a problem for astrophotographers, causing long streaks of light to appear in long-exposure images. Unlike avoiding light pollution from the ground, it’s not possible to head to a ‘dark sky reserve’ or other similar places to avoid light pollution originating from space.

SpaceX hasn’t been ignoring this problem; back in December 2019, the company said that it was experimenting with a new anti-reflective coating that would make the satellites less bright, though it may potentially result in satellite performance problems by causing thermal issues. Based on Musk’s most recent tweet, it seems the company is turning to sunshades as its solution.

With the Starlink 6 satellite launch last week, SpaceX now has 420 of these small satellites in orbit. The company plans to launch a minimum of 12,000 satellites over the coming months, though the figure may exceed 30,000 in the long run. A public beta of the Starlink service will start in the US and Canada in around six months following the private beta, according to Musk’s tweet. It’s still unclear how much the eventual Starlink Internet service will cost.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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NASA is asking the public to use their smartphones to help track light pollution caused by satellites

06 Mar

A newly launched NASA project called Satellite Streak Watcher aims to assess the night sky light pollution caused by low-Earth orbit satellites using images captured by the public. On its SciStarter project page, NASA asks anyone interested in participating to ‘Photographically record satellite streaks across the night sky to monitor this form of sky pollution.’

The space agency explains its concerns related to the satellites, stating, ‘As more satellites are placed into orbit, they will become an increasing problem to astronomers on the ground.’ Participants can use the Heavens-Above website to determine when and where satellites will pass over their local sky; images are uploaded and shared on the project’s website.

The new public science project follows announcements from a number of companies that have launched — or plan to launch — large numbers of small satellites into low-Earth orbit.

The most notable example of this comes from SpaceX, which has spent the past few years working on its Starlink mission. The private space company expects to ultimately launch thousands of small satellites into very-low Earth orbit (VLEO) in order to provide Internet access around the world. As of March 1, 2020, the company has delivered 302 of these satellites into space with plans to launch more throughout the year.

Critics have expressed concerns that Starlink and other projects like it will have a negative impact on the night sky, introducing light pollution that will disrupt astronomy. These satellites also impact astrophotography by adding thin, bright streaks of light to long-exposure images, prompting complaints from photographers who increasingly struggle to deal with light pollution.

DPReview reader Guido Forrier shared the below image in our Astrophotography forum, showing a series of fifteen Starlink satellites flying across the sky in one of his night sky photographs. When we asked what his thoughts on the matter, he said ‘I am surprised and incensed that apart from the already high light pollution, those satellites [have] also come to disturb. [There’s] a lot of rubbish is already flying in space and I see it regularly burning in the atmosphere.’

Photograph by Guido Forrier, shared with permission.

Until now, most efforts to combat light pollution have focused on the ground, not the sky. Light produced by street lamps, billboards, parking lot lights and more is reflected in the night sky, making it hard to see and photograph stars, particularly in regions close to big cities. The problem has spurred the creation of a number of Dark Sky Reserves throughout the world; these are regions of public and private land with ample natural darkness and starkly visible stars.

However, experts have expressed concerns over light pollution that results from satellites launched into low-Earth orbit, as well as more ridiculous future concepts like an artificial moon and space billboards. Because this type of light pollution comes from the sky rather than the planet’s surface, traveling to Dark Sky Reserves won’t help photographers avoid the issue.

According to Astronomy.com, the Starlink satellites are particularly disruptive to the night sky due to their shallow orbit, which is necessary for delivering Internet service to people on Earth. More than 40,000 of these small satellites may eventually be launched under the Starlink mission, and though SpaceX is experimenting with anti-reflective coating on the satellites, it is unclear whether that will be sufficient for reducing the disruption caused by the spacecraft.

MIT Technology Review points out that satellites depend on their reflective nature to help keep them cool; the experimental anti-reflective coating may cause thermal issues for the Starlink satellites. SpaceX applied the coating to the bottom of one of the 60 satellites it launched in December 2019 in order to test its potential impact on performance.

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics astronomer Jonathan McDowell had told Technology Review at the time that while the reflective coating is ‘worth a try,’ he fears it ‘will be offset by the fact that they are moving the constellation to a lower orbit.’

NASA anticipates its Satellite Streak Watcher operating as a long-term project in order to gather data on satellite light pollution over time. The project currently has 136 members and 20 images, which include shots ranging from bright dots on the night sky to several long streaks of light bunched together. Though NASA says citizen scientists can use a basic tripod and most newer smartphones to capture the images, astrophotographers who have more capable camera systems are also welcomed to share their images.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hoya introduces Starscape light pollution filter for astrophotography

05 Nov

Japanese filter and accessory manufacturer Hoya has introduced its new light pollution cut filter, Starscape. The filter is designed specifically for nighttime photography, enabling photographers to capture star-filled night skies in areas where light pollution could limit visibility.

The Starscape filter is designed to reduce the glare produced by the mercury and sodium vapor lights commonly found in cities. According to Hoya, its filter cuts the greenish and yellow hues that may result from artificial light pollution, ultimately offering what the company describes as ‘natural color reproduction.’ It’s unclear how well it can handle light pollution from LEDs, however.

Hoya will offer the Starscape 1.5 ND filter in 49mm to 82mm sizes; it features a low-profile aluminum frame and 0.5-stop exposure reduction. Pricing and availability information hasn’t been revealed at this time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Irix Edge Light Pollution filter targets the yellow glow from sodium lamps

29 Jan

Irix has released a new filter in its Edge product line and the first in its Super Endurance (SE) series, the new Irix Edge Light Pollution filter. The offering, which appears to be a glorified UV/Haze filter, is available in 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm, and 95mm sizes and features durable optical glass strengthened with “a special thermal treatment” and multiple coatings.

Irix says its new Light Pollution filter is designed to be used in urban environments and for nighttime photography where light pollution may obscure stars and natural colors. The filter is designed to remove the yellow glow resulting from sodium lights commonly used in urban environments.

In addition to multiple anti-reflective coatings to minimum reflections, the new Irix filter has a nano coating that repels oil and water. The surrounding aluminum frame sports a black finish resistant to damage and flares. For additional protection, Irix is selling the filter with a protective case for transportation and storage.

The new Irix Edge Light Pollution filter is available in the following sizes and prices:

  • 67mm: 95 EUR / $ 108 USD
  • 72mm: 107 EUR / $ 122 USD
  • 77mm: 125 EUR / $ 143 USD
  • 82mm: 135 EUR / $ 154 USD
  • 95mm: 149 EUR / $ 170 USD

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Video: Watch the Milky Way ‘appear’ as you get farther and farther from LA light pollution

13 Oct

According to much of the Interwebz, the residents of Los Angeles were so shocked to see the Milky Way during a 1994 blackout, that many of them called 911. The real story is a bit less dramatic—people called observatories, NOT 911, to ask about the ‘strange sky’ they had seen—but the sad fact remains that LA and many other cities suffer from light pollution so intense that you can’t see more than a few stars in the night sky, let alone the Milky Way.

This fact inspired landscape and astrophotographer Asif Islam to create this short film titled Where are the Stars? The film is a simple collection of timelapses, created by Asif at progressively darker locations he found while driving farther and farther away from Los Angeles.

What begins with a timelapse of a heavily light-polluted night sky above LA, totally devoid of stars, ends with an impossibly bright and saturated Milky Way timelapse captured in the Great Basin desert.

Asif’s goal was to inspire us to get away from light pollution, while simultaneously showing just how bad it’s become in major metropolitan areas like LA and NYC. “We are losing our connection with the night sky,” he writes in the video’s description. Which is a shame, he maintains, because staring at the night sky has the ability to, “keep our overworked, politicized lives simple, and makes us kind [and] thoughtful.”

Watch the video for yourself up top, and then head over to Facebook or Instagram to see more of Asif’s beautiful astrophotography.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CityTree: High-Tech Green Wall Cleans as Much Pollution as a Forest

27 Jun

[ By SA Rogers in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

A 13-foot-tall high-tech green wall encased in a concrete frame is capable of cleaning as much polluted air as an entire forest, combining the Internet of Things and biotechnology to collect data while it improves the urban environment. Created by Green City Solutions, the ‘tree’ isn’t really a tree at all, but rather a moss culture that removes dust, nitrogen dioxide and ozone gases from the air while also collecting weather data, providing electricity via solar panels and filtering its own rainwater.

Wifi sensors measure factors like temperature, water quality and soil humidity that help each CityTree self-regulate while also allowing the creators to measure how efficient it is at its job. Over a period of a year, each one can remove up to 240 metric tons of climate change-inducing CO2 from the air. Each one features a display for information or advertising. It also features optional benches on either side, and can be vandalism-proofed and customized according to a city or company’s needs. Green City Solutions takes care of the maintenance, and there’s a slim-line version measuring one square meter for smaller spaces.

Asia’s first CityTree went up in Hong Kong last summer, and around 20 others have been installed in cities like Oslo, Paris and Brussels. More are planned, but red tape tends to get in the way, stalling its growth to additional cities. The German-based company plans to introduce the CityTree to lower-income countries like India as well. While it’s definitely not enough to combat urban air pollution on its own, it’s an interesting element to integrate into a more comprehensive strategy.

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[ By SA Rogers in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

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Pollution Pops: Sewage-Ridden Public Waters Frozen into Horrifying Popsicles

21 Jun

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

A stomach-churning twist on classic frozen treats, 100 stabilized ice pops made from Taiwan’s polluted lakes, rivers, beaches and ports feature an unsettling array of sewage found in public waters.

Each of these edible-scale popsicles was first frozen then preserved in polyester resin and wrapped in packaging. Diverse flavors feature ingredients such as plastic, arsenic, mercury and metal. Unappetizing titles include Yang-tzu-chou Drainage, The Large Ditch in Tianwei, and New Huwei Creek.

Some even look tasty at a glance, like some kind of hand-crafted iced delight. But the game of choosing something to try quickly becomes a nightmare of deciding which might be least terrible. Surely one without bits of cork, bottle caps or candy wrappers would be better, but then again: invisible poisons could be much worse.

Art students Hung I-chen, Guo Yi-hui, and Cheng Yu-ti from the National Taiwan University of the Arts concocted titled their line of less-than-delicious designs “Polluted Water Popsicles.” Their work was nominated for the Young Pin Design Award and featured in the New Generation of Design Exhibition this May at the Taipei World Trade Center.

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[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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Benjamin Von Wong takes aim at coal pollution with post-apocalyptic photo shoot

31 Jan
Shot on the Phase One IQ3, Schneider 35mm | ISO400, 35mm, f/8, 1/400 with Broncolor Move & Siros. Photo by Benjamin Von Wong

Benjamin Von Wong’s latest project doesn’t pull any punches. For this shoot, he collaborated with the Wasteland Warriors – a pair of artists who pay homage to a Mad Max-style post-apocalypse by creating custom clothing and props. Von Wong began planning the shoot months ago, hoping it would bring awareness to the impacts of global reliance on coal. When the political climate in the US shifted and then-President Elect Donal Trump called for a return to coal, it all seemed suddenly very timely.

Shot on the Phase One IQ3, Schneider 35mm | | ISO100, 35mm, f/6.3, 1/200 with Broncolor Move & Siros. Photo by Benjamin Von Wong

The concept envisions a future where oxygen is a precious commodity, controlled and traded by Mad Max-style soldiers. The backdrop is a mining museum in Germany called Ferropolis, and the dramatic setting is complemented by Wasteland Warrior’s custom props and elaborate costumes. 

Shot on the Phase One IQ3, Schneider 35mm | ISO800, 35mm, f/12, 1/640 with Broncolor Move & Siros. Photo by Benjamin Von Wong

Per usual, Von Wong provides plenty of behind-the-scenes information, including a post-apocalyptic lighting demo. For the shoot he used a Phase One IQ3 and Schneider 35mm lens. And yes, he did use smoke bombs on the set for effect. He acknowledges how this is somewhat at odds with his message, but ultimately decided it was the only way to achieve the right visual impact and paid a voluntary carbon emissions tax.

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In his blog post, Von Wong makes it clear that he doesn’t believe this truly the future for the US. 

‘To be fair, I don’t expect our country to ever become this polluted. That would be an unrealistic and improbable projection even if President Trump completes his promise to save jobs and bring back “clean coal.”

Yet despite that, coal still presents some very real risks if we ignore what science tells us and turn our backs on developing sustainable, renewable energy.

I think we can all agree that coal is a finite resource that will only carry us so far. Shouldn’t we focus on the future and not dig up the past?’

Does Von Wong’s message come through in his photos? Let us know what you think in the comments. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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STC offers clip-on light pollution filter for full-frame Nikon DSLRs

24 Dec

Taiwan-based filter maker STC is offering an Astro-Multispectra Clip Filter for several full-frame Nikon DSLR cameras, aiding photographers in filtering light pollution during astrophotography sessions. The filter is designed to clip over the camera’s sensor, and is made with Schott B270 optical glass coated using IBAD technology, including an anti-smudge nanocoating. When used, the Clip Filter ‘significantly reduces’ artificial lighting produced by things like street lights.

The STC Astro-Multispectra Clip Filter is compatible with the Nikon D4, D4s, D800, D800E, D810, D810A, D750, D600, and D610. The item is sold by Cyclops Optics for $ 1,620 Hong Kong dollars, or about $ 209 USD. The company offers worldwide shipping.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the filter was made by Cyclops Optics.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Pigeons on Patrol: Birds with Backpacks Monitor London Air Pollution

10 May

[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

Screen Shot 2016-05-09 at 5.31.38 PM

Not all pigeons are rats with wings. Some of them actually strap on tiny backpacks and go to their jobs every day, just like the rest of us. In fact, a flock of pigeons in London play a central role in monitoring the air pollution in the city, their little black fashion accessories equipped with lightweight sensors that test the levels of nitrogen dioxide and ozone gases, reporting the results on Twitter. Londoners who tweet their locations to @PigeonAir get an instant response from one of the pigeons with the level of air pollution in their area.

pigeon patrol 2

pigeon patrol 4

Paris-based tech company Plume Labs developed an app that gives residents access to information and advice about pollution in the city, and an interactive live map on the project’s website provides more neighborhood-specific details. A well-known pigeon expert named Brian Woodhouse provided a flock of racing pigeons, which are healthier and hardier than street pigeons, for the mission.

pigeon patrol 3

pigeon patrol 5

The project was only in action for three days during March, and the pigeons are now taking a break, but the novelty of the miniature backpacks got thousands of city residents talking about air pollution, which kills nearly 9,500 Londoners each year. Now, Plume Labs has turned to human Londoners for assistance, asking them to wear their own sensors to crowdsource detailed readings of air pollution in virtually every corner of the city.

Screen Shot 2016-05-09 at 5.34.45 PM

You have to admit, no matter what you think of the pesky birds, the sight of those tiny mesh suits on tiny hangers labeled with each pigeon’s name are ridiculously cute.

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[ By Steph in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

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