A Maxar Technologies satellite captured a Starlink satellite beneath it. The extreme physics created compelling visual effects. | Maxar
A SpaceX Starlink satellite was recently photographed passing over China’s secretive Dingxin Airbase, appearing in an image captured by a commercial Earth-observation satellite.
The alignment occurred on August 21, when one of Maxar Technologies’ WorldView Legion satellites photographed the base in the Gobi Desert. The high-resolution image shows fighter jets parked near a runway, but also includes the faint reflection of a Starlink satellite crossing the frame.
Maxar identified the satellite as Starlink spacecraft number 33828. Its passage created colorful reflections in the image, producing what looked like streaks of light across the desert background.
Susanne Hake, Maxar’s general manager for U.S. government, explains in a LinkedIn post that the unusual effect was a “pan-sharpening spectral artifact,” caused by the high relative speed of the two satellites.
“Essentially, our imaging system was merging high-resolution black and white data with color data while the Starlink zipped past at orbital velocity,” Hake writes. “Physics turned a technical imaging challenge into accidental art.”
Hake tells Space.com that the alignment highlights how active near-Earth space has become, but emphasizes that such occurrences are uncommon.
“Capturing another satellite like this in an Earth-observation image is extremely rare,” Hake tells the website.
“In this case, a Starlink satellite happened to pass through our field of view at just the right moment while our sensors were mid-collection — an extraordinary alignment, given the vastness of space and the fact that we were traveling at an astonishing relative velocity of about 1,400 meters per second.”
Dingxin Airbase, the site beneath the orbital encounter, is one of China’s most closely guarded military facilities. It is used for advanced training exercises and the development of new aircraft and drones.
Space Junk
While the photo of the SpaceX satellite is undoubtedly cool, it also points to the wider issue of the spacecraft blocking humanity’s view of the Univserse
This summer, researchers captured the first-ever image of every single satellite streak blocking out the Arctic sky on one night, and the result was astounding.
Nevertheless, satellites are capable of capturing awesome photos. Such as this NOAA coronagraph telescope that accidentally captured this splendid photo of the Moon recently.