Paper detail

Concerns about ground based astronomical observations: quantifying satellites' constellations damages

This article is a second analysis step from the descriptive arXiv:2001.10952 preprint. This work is aimed to arise awareness to the scientific astronomical community about the negative impact of satellites' mega-constellations and put in place an approximated estimations about loss of scientific contents expected for ground based astronomical observations when about 50,000 satellites will be displaced in LEO orbit. The first analysis regards the impact on professional astronomical images in optical windows. Then the study is expanded to other wavelengths and astronomical ground based facilities (radio and higher energies) to better understand which kind of effects are expected. Authors also try to perform a quantitative economic estimation related to the loss of value for public finances committed to the ground based astronomical facilities armed by satellites' constellations. These evaluations are intended for general purposes, can be improved and better estimated, but in this first phase they could be useful as evidentiary material to quantify the damage in subsequent legal actions against further satellites deployments.