Comment by Ijumfs | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Ijumfs | Hacker News Reader

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Who knew that astronomers would be the luddite reactionaries holding science and technology back? They seemed to laugh and cheer every time an astronomical satellite was put into orbit, but frown and shake their fingers when other people wish to utilize space as well.

Astronomers don't own space. And by laughing and cavorting, dancing jigs when astronomical satellites are put into orbit but screeching "OH WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN" when somebody else uses space, they have taken their scientific and social credibility down a large notch.

Pretty soon nobody will care what they have to say. Their job is to quietly lurk behind bushes at night, and solve problems nobody asked the answers to, to silently publish them in unread journals, praying for a professorship which will allow travel to exotic destinations where telescopes just "happen" to be best situated.

Ugh. Chuds.

> Astronomers don't own space.

OK, but neither does SpaceX, right?

If I make a mess of public lands, I can get in trouble. The international legal framework around the use of space has clear holes in it - it still focuses around nation state actions with little consideration to commercial use - and there's nothing wrong with talking about that.

It’s really sad that something as universal and beautiful as the night sky is now something to be pissed on. Pretty much a perfect example to demonstrate that “tech people” are amoral assholes. I hope the satellites all burn up.

Starlink isn’t visible in the night sky. It’s satellites are in such low orbits they spend Tye night in the earths shadow, where they are invisible. They are only visible on the horizon at dawn/dusk, where there is actual sunlight to reflect.

Lastly the latest version of Starlink satellites has a shade visor that reduces reflection enough to make them invisible even at dawn/dusk.

I have seen them with my own eyes. And they are currently at what, 1% of expected deployment? And when amazon and who-knows-who-else puts up their constellation?

Again, you can’t see them when it’s night without magnification. And with visors you can’t see them at dawn or dusk.

Please don't do this here.

Do what? Point out the petulance and inconsistency of astronomers?

We've banned this account for repeatedly breaking the site guidelines with unsubstantive comments and flamebait.

If you'd please not create accounts to do that with, we'd be very grateful. I'm sure you can express your views thoughtfully and substantively if you choose.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

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