Astronomers and other stargazers have new cause for concern about light pollution after claims that Starlink's latest satellites supporting phone services could appear five times brighter in the sky than existing ones.
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A recently published study [PDF] by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) claims that the Direct to Cell (DTC) satellites being raised by SpaceX for its satellite biz are on average 4.9 times brighter than other Starlink Mini spacecraft.
In the best-case scenario where light-reducing techniques are used, the report estimates that DTC satellites will still be about 2.6 times as bright as the others, based on the lower altitudes at which they operate.
The research is authored by the IAU's Center for Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies from Satellite Constellation Interference, which is such a mouthful it's simply called CPS.
