Scientists Turn Starlink Into a Giant Scanner For Earth's Upper Atmosphere (sciencedaily.com)
(Friday August 14, 2026 @03:00AM (BeauHD)
from the Starlink-weather-station dept.)
- Reference: 0184966043
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/26/08/14/0230250/scientists-turn-starlink-into-a-giant-scanner-for-earths-upper-atmosphere
- Source link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260812015212.htm
[1]alternative_right shares a report from ScienceDaily:
> Researchers have [2]found a clever new way to map a part of Earth's upper atmosphere that is notoriously difficult to observe. Using orbital data from roughly 1,200 Starlink satellites, they [3]reconstructed changes in atmospheric density about 500 kilometers above Earth . [...] The resulting density patterns also showed strong consistency with observations from the European Space Agency's SWARM satellites, which measure changes in atmospheric density along their orbital paths.
>
> The work expands on an earlier study by the same team. In that research, scientists estimated how thermospheric density changed over time and altitude using general orbital information called Two-Line Element, or TLE, data from Starlink satellites. The new analysis adds another dimension by examining how density varies horizontally across latitude and longitude, revealing more of the thermosphere's geographic structure.
>
> The findings could have practical benefits as the number of objects orbiting Earth continues to grow. More accurate information about atmospheric density can improve predictions of satellite motion, helping reduce the chance of collisions between satellites and between satellites and space debris. The technique could also eventually support near-real-time measurements of atmospheric density around satellites. Such monitoring could improve space weather forecasting and contribute to safer, more dependable satellite operations in the future.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~alternative_right
[2] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40623-026-02509-5
[3] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260812015212.htm
> Researchers have [2]found a clever new way to map a part of Earth's upper atmosphere that is notoriously difficult to observe. Using orbital data from roughly 1,200 Starlink satellites, they [3]reconstructed changes in atmospheric density about 500 kilometers above Earth . [...] The resulting density patterns also showed strong consistency with observations from the European Space Agency's SWARM satellites, which measure changes in atmospheric density along their orbital paths.
>
> The work expands on an earlier study by the same team. In that research, scientists estimated how thermospheric density changed over time and altitude using general orbital information called Two-Line Element, or TLE, data from Starlink satellites. The new analysis adds another dimension by examining how density varies horizontally across latitude and longitude, revealing more of the thermosphere's geographic structure.
>
> The findings could have practical benefits as the number of objects orbiting Earth continues to grow. More accurate information about atmospheric density can improve predictions of satellite motion, helping reduce the chance of collisions between satellites and between satellites and space debris. The technique could also eventually support near-real-time measurements of atmospheric density around satellites. Such monitoring could improve space weather forecasting and contribute to safer, more dependable satellite operations in the future.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~alternative_right
[2] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40623-026-02509-5
[3] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260812015212.htm
I have a theory (Score:2)
I have a theory that the LEO satellite network can also scan for real IDs.
Re: (Score:2)
"Enhance"
There it is.
Re: I have a theory (Score:2)
Did you mean: Enhance 224 to 176. Enhance, stop. Move in, stop. Pull out, track right, stop. Center in, pull back. Stop. Track 45 right. Stop. Center and stop. Enhance 34 to 36. Pan right and pull back. Stop. Enhance 34 to 46. Pull back. Wait a minute, go right, stop. Enhance 57 to 19. Track 45 left. Stop. Enhance 15 to 23. Give me a hard copy right there.