Perched atop the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, the Gemini North Observatory is one of the world’s most powerful windows into the cosmos. On clear nights, long-exposure photographs taken show the streaks of stars above the high-altitude site, arcs of light created by Earth’s rotation as distant stars trace graceful paths across the sky.
Where is it?
Gemini North resides at Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
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Stars arc across the night sky in this long-exposure image. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA)Why is it amazing?
Besides the journeys stars make across the night sky, this image also shows streaks from satellites, which are increasingly common. These streaks are more than aesthetic; they can also interfere with sensitive astronomical measurements. Astronomers worldwide are increasingly focused on the impact of satellite megaconstellations (for communications or Earth observation) on ground‐based observatories. As more satellites get launched into low Earth orbit, the challenges continue to mount, forcing experts to get creative when trying to get their measurements.
For astronomers using these telescopes, when looking up into the night sky, these streaks might just be the next hurdle — or the next breakthrough — when studying our cosmos.
Want to learn more?
You can learn more about ground-based observatories and satellite streaks.