HYBRID – General Meeting – October 2022

TAAA’s next general member meeting will be held on Friday, October 7, 2022. The Main Presentation will start at 6:30 P.M.This will be a hybrid meeting (both in person and on social media). TAAA members will receive a Zoom link should they wish to attend remotely. The public may attend in person or online through our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TucsonAstronomy/

(A recording will be available on YouTube a few days after the meeting at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjjxnxMBbO98o801Bpk19w)

Special Note: The Raymond E. White 21” telescope will be available to view through from 7 PM to 10:30 PM, courtesy of Steward Observatory.

6:30 pm – Main Presentation

TITLE:  A Sky Full of Satellites

PRESENTATION:  With the creation of new low Earth-orbit satellite mega-constellations (containing 100 or more satellites), astronomers face a new reality, one with as many as 100,000 bright satellites which can ruin astrophotographic images, both scientific and aesthetic. While there are many concerns about the damage these constellations cause, our speaker, Harry Krantz, is currently observing them primarily to measure their brightness and evaluate current and future mitigation goals. Based on his extensive surveys and investigation of their brightness and behavior, Harry will inform us about the real impacts that astronomers can expect from satellite mega-constellations.

BIO:  Harry Krantz is a PhD student of Astronomy at the University of Arizona Steward Observatory. His research focuses on observing and characterizing satellites and debris in Earth orbit. With a background in engineering and systems development, Harry plays a key role in creating new instruments, telescope systems, and techniques to overcome the unique challenges in observing satellites.