They clarify that it would not be dangerous for humans Experts warn that space debris will be more and more frequent and will affect astronomical observation

The professor of the Department of Astronomy of the University of Chile José Maza and the Master of Science Bernardita Ried explain why this phenomenon, seen a few days ago in the skies of Chile, will be more and more frequent. They also warn that these elements generate light pollution and that the satellite internet industry, for example, will affect the privileged astronomical observation that can be done today from our country.

Ma. Fca. Maldonado Wilson, Communications UdeChile.- At the beginning of the month, users of social networks reported through various videos how the Chilean skies were illuminated by something that fell, an object that many related to a meteorite. Doubts were quickly cleared up and it was clarified that it was about space junk.

according to the teacher jose mazaacademic of the Department of Astronomy of the University of Chile and National Prize for Exact Sciences, “it is not dangerous for humans, because rarely anything bigger will enter. (For) the vast majority, 2,000 degrees Celsius is enough for aluminum to evaporate, virtually all metals evaporate sooner than that.”

The astronomer from the University of Chile adds that “This is a phenomenon that is going to be more and more frequent., and now that there are many cell phones we are going to see more and more beautiful videos of objects entering the atmosphere ”. In fact, he details that so far “they have been launched into space 13,630 satellites, of which 6,600 are still operational and there are at least 2,250 that are no longer operational, and that constitutes space junk”.

On the other hand, the Master of Science in Physics mention and disseminator of the National Astronomical Observatory of the University of Chile, Bernadette RiedSubmits that “this human waste is a negative externalitythat is, something that occurs without avoiding its negative impacts, despite the fact that benefits occur, such as space exploration, scientific development and also technological development.

“This has had a exponential growth that It has not necessarily been accompanied by responsibility and an ecological perspective. In November 2022, the United States Space Surveillance Network reported 25,857 objects orbiting the Earth, of which only 5,465 correspond to satellites that are truly operational because, once their useful life ends, many times they simply remain in orbit. land”.

But there is not only space junk, says Bernadette Ried. The also student of the Ph.D in Physics, mention in Astrophysics from Stanford University, clarifies that there is also “micro space debris”, which is generated from, for example, “the collision of two satellites”, which leaves small fragments of no more than 10 centimeters. “In fact, in 2019 it was estimated that space junk less than a centimeter long, there were more than 128 million particles orbiting Earth”.

How it affects astronomical observations

In this way, the astronomer indicates that space debris has different origins. For example, “The same astronauts present in the International Space Station, when it was time to go out to fix the different components, suddenly some of their tools were gone.and that also contributes to space junk.”

Ried also ensures that all these elements that orbit the planet also produce light pollution, which could affect astronomical observations that are made, for example, from northern Chile. Along these lines, he believes thatreliance on satellite internet could be detrimental in the long run if it continues to increase (space debris), since, if there were to be an accident, a cascade effect could be caused, because if one satellite collides with another, many pieces are generated and these can collapse with others and if it is very overcrowded environment, this could obviously also affect communications and ultimately life here on Earth”.