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@cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz
2025-12-11 14:37:56

RE: #Megaconstellation Close Conjunctions: arxiv.org/abs/2512.09643 -> thread scicomm.xyz/@sundogplanets@mas

@cosmos4u@scicomm.xyz
2026-02-12 18:46:50

And all 32 #AmazonLeo satellites have been deployed by the first #Ariane 64: good news for Arianespace and Amazon but probably bad news for astronomy as the previous satellites of this #megaconstellation have proven to be brighter than they should be. As this diagram from the recent paper "Brightness Characterization and Modeling for Amazon Leo Satellites" - arxiv.org/abs/2601.07708 - shows they are almost always brighter than the informally established 7 mag. limit. And there are no indications that the design of the 32 added to the constellation today had been modified to make them dimmer ... while the next Ariane launch will carry more of them.