New paper:

BlueWalker 3 Satellite Brightness Characterized and Modeled

#satellites #BlueWalker3

https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00831

#BlueWalker3 Satellite Brightness Characterized and Modeled: https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.00831 -> "The luminosity of BW3 can be represented with a brightness model which is based on the satellite shape and orientation as well as a reflection function having Lambertian and pseudo-specular components. Apparent magnitudes are most frequently between 2.0 and 3.0. When BW3 is near zenith the magnitude is about 1.4."

#Vodafone reta a #Hispasat y llevará internet por satélite a zonas remotas de la España vaciada
https://www.epe.es/es/activos/20230226/mwc-vodafone-internet-satelite-espana-rural-hispasat-83747287 #BlueWalker3

A favorable overpass of the AST SpaceMobile #BlueWalker3 #satellite seen from Tucson earlier tonight at 0255 UTC on 13th February. At closest approach (575 km), it reached about third magnitude.

Q: Any concerns about satellite direct-to-mobile communications?

C. Walker: The giant antenna sizes (e.g., #BlueWalker3) are concerning in terms of optical/IR brightness. Obvious radio interference concerns as well, but may possibly be mitigated.

#AAS241 #LPRISD

BlueWalker 3: Riesiger Satellit war vorübergehend merklich dunkler

Der riesige Satellit BlueWalker 3 ist eines der hellsten Objekte am Firmament. Zwischenzeitlich war er aber schlechter auszumachen, wohl weil er gedreht wurde.

https://www.heise.de/news/BlueWalker-3-Riesiger-Satellit-war-voruebergehend-merklich-dunkler-7450520.html?wt_mc=sm.red.ho.mastodon.mastodon.-.-

#Astronomie #Bluewalker3 #Internetzugang #Lichtverschmutzung #Satellit #News

"Observations of #BlueWalker3 (#BW3) beginning on December 8 of this year indicate that its apparent brightness had decreased. We postulate that the orbital beta angle and resultant solar power considerations required an adjustment to the #satellite attitude around that time. ... This situation indicates the improvement in the appearance of BW3 from the ground that can be achieved with small tilts of the spacecraft."

https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.01601

#Bluewalker3 has returned to it's post deployment brightness.

We offer a possible cause of the dimming and a brightness model to explain it in the following paper:

https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.01601

Anthony Mallama, @richard_e_cole@twitter.com and I released a paper about the brightness dimming of #BlueWalker3.

The dimming appears directly related to the satellite operators compensating for a very high beta angle with the Sun.

http://satobs.org/seesat/Dec-2022/0097.html

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qqtij35gulujfss/BW3%20Beta%20Angle%20version%209.pdf?dl=0

A suggested explanation for the huge, bright #BlueWalker3 satellite's recent dimming by Anthony Mallama, @richard_e_cole, and @coastal8049:
http://satobs.org/seesat/Dec-2022/0097.html
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qqtij35gulujfss/BW3%20Beta%20Angle%20version%209.pdf?dl=0
While it's likely a temporary change for operational reasons, it suggests a possible more permanent (partial) mitigation for #LightPollution from large #SatelliteConstellations.
#BlueWalker3 #VerminOfTheSkies

Glad we got a good set of observations of #BlueWalker3 before the weather clagged in solidly this week. Experimenting with getting our 1.8 m telescope to play catch-the-satellite

Back to keeping a watchful eye on #Bluewalker3. Some interesting work is being done in the background on this. Still just idle data over the west coast of NA.

Back to keeping a watchful eye on #Bluewalker3. Some interesting work is being done in the background on this. Still just idle data over the west coast of NA.

Holy mackerel
---
RT @ralfvandebergh
Another telescope image deployed #BlueWalker3 on Nov 26, (25cm, fully manually tracked). Satellite still in approach during the recording, maximum angular size was not captured due to overhead clouds.More approach images: https://i.ibb.co/KqvGrf5/Bluewalker3-20221126-setp.png @AST_SpaceMobile @scottwisniews
https://twitter.com/ralfvandebergh/status/1603112959294992385

Here’s another one of the #BlueWalker3 #satellite 🛰 passing through #Cassiopeia this time. Both were 10-second exposures. #space #astronomy #astrodon

Just popped outside while cooking dinner to catch a pass of the #BlueWalker3 satellite. It passed almost overhead at a peak magnitude of +1.8 😮 Here’s a quick photo (with my phone) of it passing through #Cygnus. #astronomy #astrodon #satellite

@mimrma und nicht nur Elon Musk ist da dran, auch andere Personen mit anderen Firmen https://mstdn.social/@exiltoaster/109349582491742266 #BlueWalker3 werden da noch mal eine neue Dimension sein.

BlueWalker 3: Astronomen besorgt wegen besonders hellem Riesensatelliten

Der Kommunikationssatellit BlueWalker 3 gehört jetzt zu den hellsten Objekten am Nachthimmel. Die IAU ist besorgt und fürchtet Folgen für die Radioastronomie.

https://www.heise.de/news/BlueWalker-3-Astronomen-besorgt-wegen-besonders-hellem-Riesensatelliten-7360561.html?wt_mc=sm.red.ho.mastodon.mastodon.-.-

#Astronomie #Bluewalker3 #IAU #Kommunikationssatelliten #Nachthimmel #Radioastronomie #Satellit #Sterngucker #News

Statement from @IAU_CPS@twitter.com on #BlueWalker3 - New measurements reveal that this low Earth orbiting satellite is now one of the brightest objects in the night sky, outshining all but the brightest stars. https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau2211/

RT @cgbassa@twitter.com

The @IAU_CPS@twitter.com has released a statement on the worries of the astronomy community regarding the brightness & radio frequency usage of the @AST_SpaceMobile@twitter.com #BlueWalker3 satellite which deployed its 64 square meter antenna. It can outshine all but the 15th brightest stars in the sky.

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/cgbassa/status/1597292184143024128