BlueWalker 3 Satellite Outshines Milky Way Stars, Raises Light Pollution Concerns

The BlueWalker 3 satellite, launched in 2022, has become one of the brightest objects in the night sky, outshining some of the most radiant stars in the Milky Way. Observations of the satellite show that it is one of the brightest objects in the sky, even brighter than some of the most iconic stars visible from Earth. This has raised concerns about light pollution and the impact on ground-based astronomy. The satellite's massive array, nearly 700 square feet in size, is responsible for its brightness. Astronomers are worried about the increasing challenges that ground-based astronomy faces due to satellites like BlueWalker 3. The findings have been reported in a research paper published in Nature.