Posted on 09/30/2017 7:37:29 AM PDT by BenLurkin
'Orbital Reflector is a satellite that will have no commercial, military, or scientific purpose,' the museum says.
'Instead, it will be a public sculpture, visible from the ground without a telescope - a satellite that belongs to everyone,'
It is housed in a small box-like infrastructure known as a CubeSat and launched into space aboard a rocket.
Once in low Earth orbit at a distance of about 350 miles (575 kilometers) from Earth, the CubeSat opens and releases the sculpture, which self-inflates like a balloon.
Sunlight reflects onto the sculpture making it visible from Earth with the naked eye — like a slowly moving artificial star as bright as a star in the Big Dipper.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Why do they need to put more junk in the sky. I like natural sky lighting. Well you can call a turd art....
Sunlight reflects onto the sculpture making it visible from Earth with the naked eye — like a slowly moving artificial star as bright as a star in the Big Dipper.
...
That’s not very bright. There are already satellites people can see with the naked eye.
Bone stupid.
Next thing there will be advertising and it will be like I70 between KC and St. Louis.
Because stars suck.
Hopefully that thing doesn’t reflect into a telescope. Eyes and sensitive instruments will not survive.
Beautiful...unless you’re an astronomer and it dazzles your telescope while you’re trying to collect data...
yup, billboards will be next
I can picture some cleric in Pakistan seeing the new “star” as a portent of evil and launching an attack on a neighboring village...
Well, maybe NOT with diamonds, but hey....
When our kids were little, on our vacation trips to the mountains, we’d all lie on the deck at night and see who could spot the most satellites. It wasn’t long before their young eyes were beating Pop by a lot. We’d often have two, sometimes three, in view simultaneously.
It was a great opportunity to discuss science in a low-key, fun way. “Dad, why is that one blinking on and off?” as we observed a tumbling satellite or booster. “Why are they going in different directions?”
Just a year ago, we were staying at a cabin at 11,400 feet in Colorado and all went out to see ISS go over.
It’s still up there, Forever..
Just wait until they figure out how to put advertising billboards up there.
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Saw the ISS with the shuttle still attached (back when we could get men into space without help). With binoculars could see both pretty clearly. Of course my mom saw the Hindenburg over NJ which was a tad bit more impressive.
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