Do satellites ruin pro astronomers photos?

[Tucson_Tim]

As I was sitting out last night, stargazing, just after dusk (beautiful clear night). I saw 7 satellites (or other debris), all in different orbits. With so many satellites, geo-synch and near-Earth, do these ever ruin a professional astronomer's photographs? Or is the cool-down period long enough so that near-earth satellites are no longer illuminated? Are the geo-synch satellites too far away and too small to matter? Or do the pros use software that tracks satellites and prevents the interference?

[andyschlei]

Although I'm no pro, I have done a fair amount of astrophotography, and satellites are only an occasional annoyance.

The low-orbit ones are the brightest and move throughout most of the sky. They are only an issue around twilight. I take multiple 5 minute exposures so any problem in an individual exposure doesn't cost too much in terms of time. In addition, combining frames with a sigma-reject algorithm allows you to keep the good data from an exposure with a satellite but reject the streak from the satellite.

Geosynchronous satellites are quite far out and only in one portion of the sky. They have never been a problem for me. But then I don't have a 10-meter scope.

--Andy

[jouster]

Those 10-meter scopes tend to be aimed at very small parts of the sky.

[andyschlei]

Those 10-meter scopes tend to be aimed at very small parts of the sky.

Even small scopes are aimed at a small part of the sky. As it happens, I was imaging M63 last night and in one of my 3-minute blue images, a satellite wandered through the image and right across the galaxy.

The attached image covers 30 x 20 arcminutes. A pretty small part of the sky.

[Tucson_Tim]

Even small scopes are aimed at a small part of the sky. As it happens, I was imaging M63 last night and in one of my 3-minute blue images, a satellite wandered through the image and right across the galaxy.

The attached image covers 30 x 20 arcminutes. A pretty small part of the sky.

That's still a nice photograph! Thanks for posting it.

[jouster]

Even small scopes are aimed at a small part of the sky. As it happens, I was imaging M63 last night and in one of my 3-minute blue images, a satellite wandered through the image and right across the galaxy.

The attached image covers 30 x 20 arcminutes. A pretty small part of the sky.


True. But how often does it happen to you when you image?

[hhEb09'1]

a satellite wandered through the image and right across the galaxy.Nice. Not quite a bullseye. Try again. :)

[andyschlei]

True. But how often does it happen to you when you image?

Sorry for the late reply, been traveling for work.

Not very often. This is the first in several hundred subexposures.