NOTE: This meeting will be in person at FURMAN UNIVERSITY, not at the Science Center. Location and Map are listed below:
We also had a speaker & topic change. The meteorite talk has been moved to July 17, and the following will be our talk tonight.
The rapid expansion of satellite constellations has introduced a new and complex challenge for both professional and amateur astronomers. As thousands of satellites populate low Earth orbit, their visibility in the night sky increasingly interferes with long-exposure imaging, leaving bright streaks that can compromise valuable data and diminish the visual quality of astrophotography. This panel will explore the scale of orbital congestion, its measurable effects on observational astronomy, and the evolving strategies being developed to mitigate these impacts. Panelists will discuss technological solutions such as satellite darkening, predictive tracking, and image-processing techniques, as well as the broader regulatory and industry considerations shaping the future of space utilization. Attention will also be given to the role of the amateur astronomy community in documenting and adapting to these changes. As satellite deployments continue to accelerate, understanding and addressing their influence on the night sky is critical to preserving both scientific inquiry and the shared human experience of the stars.
recognized for capturing deep-sky images over Naseby and the Maniototo. He specializes in building his own telescopes for astrophotography to overcome limitations in commercial mounts, often using restrictive filters to produce award-winning images of nebulae.
Sheila Kannappan is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her research seeks to understand the evolution of galaxies and the larger cosmic structures in which they live. A recurring theme of her work is finding evidence that dwarf galaxies have much more exciting lives than previously thought: these supposedly boring galaxies turn out to be subject to overwhelming gas inflows from the cosmos, which fuel both exponential growth via star formation and unexpectedly widespread activity in massive black holes.
We will meet in a classroom in Plyler Hall 222 in the Townes Science Center. Visitors can park in the South Chapel Lot, which is the parking lot between the Daniel Chapel and the football stadium (park closer to the chapel side – see attached map, follow the red arrow). The building is across the Mall from the parking lot. The classroom is on the second floor; there is stair and elevator access near the classroom.