World's largest communication satellite is a photobombing menace, astronomers warn

[Still Waters]

A giant new communications satellite that outshines almost all the stars in the night sky is obscuring telescopes’ views of the universe, scientists warn. 

The massive orbiting "cell phone tower," known as BlueWalker 3, is creating both visible and invisible interference that could "severely hamper progress in our understanding of the cosmos," representatives of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) said in a statement.

BlueWalker 3 is a prototype antenna that was designed and built by Texas-based communications company AST Space Mobile. The satellite launched into low-Earth orbit on Sept. 10 and unfurled its massive communications array on Nov. 14, Live Science's sister site Space.com reported. The mirror-like dish has a surface area of around 693 square feet (64 square meters), making it the biggest commercial communications array ever launched into orbit.

https://www.livescience.com/photobombing-satellite-iau-warning

https://www.space.com/bluewalker-3-satellite-deploys-largest-commercial-array

https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau2211/

[+Desertrat56]

Those astronomers need to get access to a camera on the satelite to give them access to the stars they are studying (for free).