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Comment by tunesmith | Hacker News Reader

I can't believe I've never wondered this before, but I wonder how possible it is to deliberately create a satellite-blocking cloud above one's own property. What height and size it would have to be, etc.

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It's called anthropogenic clouds, and it's possible but requires certain weather conditions to work: you need a source of water vapor that can saturate the air, and a stream of cold air to condensate that vapor. Then it's possible to launch particles into the air that would act as cloud condensation nucleus, and in theory it should start the cloud formation. Anyway, to hide a small area much easier solution would be to have a lot of smoke, or to artificially generate fog which is much easier to do than clouds...

The more common approach is using a large roof, and after that to build where it is usually cloudy.

Yeah, you cant expect privacy sunbathing nude on your own property in 2019.

Kinda scary.

Just make a big warehouse, or put your activities underground. That's what militaries do (also covered drydocks and berthing slots).

Just move to San Francisco. ;)

If you could track the satellite could you not shine a laser, or bright light (maybe a mirror reflecting the sun) directly at the camera to mess up the imaging while over your region?

And if an aircraft flies over your property you could get charged with a federal offense (pointing a laser at an aircraft).

Ehhhh, the aircraft flew into the trajectory, are there no other comparable scenarios where there's an intersection that can happen accidentally?

Basically, if you're planning on pointing a laser into the sky, you need at a minimum issue a NOTAM to inform aviators of the hazard. Things like outdoor concerts and some weather observation systems do this.

But... Sending a laser into the sky and intersecting an aircraft that was operating per regulation? That's on the laser-er, and "creating a hazard to aviation" is not a charge that you'll be happy dealing with in many countries.

Doesn't really matter if you're across the globe...

This would be rare and it would only affect the pilot if the laser was tracking the plane as it flew overhead.

This would simply make it very obvious that you are investing substantial resources trying to obscure a location.

Might be fine if all you want is to feel free in your own garden (nude is a common example, but also clothed, if you feel like you might be observed at any time...).

Geodesic dome, cheaper and more durable. As added bonus it protects you from the heat.

One day we will likely dome cities: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_River%27s_City_project

One of the uses of a radome (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radome) is to conceal the appearance of the antenna inside, so that people photographing it can't learn what frequency and direction it targets. That includes by satellite photography.

I don't think it would be very pleasant to have a radome over your house or yard, though, since you usually want sunlight to come in!

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