It’s like a disco ball, and it’s just as useful, too.
Last week, New Zealand-based space exploration startup Rocket Lab managed to get a rocket into space. And that rocket was carrying what they dubbed the “Humanity Star”, a highly reflective geodesic sphere, putting it into orbit. According to Rocket Lab it’s supposed to be a “reminder to all on Earth about our fragile place in the universe”.
Astronomers, on the other hand, disagree for obvious reasons.
While some employ more tact than others, precisely none of them are happy with the fact that this disco ball is going to be hovering through the night sky for the better part of a year. After all, the one is bad enough; could you imagine hundreds of the things? Their profession is already made hard enough by artificial light.
While most seem to agree that the sentiment is nice enough, few see the point of introducing the “Humanity Star” to the night sky. Hell, they have little problem with Rocket Lab’s operations otherwise; even to the point of support, as satellites can provide excellent data. While its orbit will degrade after 9 months, the satellite will likely remain a hot-button topic in the field for years to come.
Source: The Guardian
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