BlueBird satellites have a mean apparent magnitude of 3.44, can reach magnitude 0.5 near zenith, and a fitted model attributes their brightness pattern to new stand-off structures shadowing the antenna panel.
BlueWalker 3 Redux
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abstract
The BlueWalker 3 satellite is now fainter than during the first months after deployment. The greatest improvement is that the average maximum luminosity near zenith has been reduced from magnitude 1.0 to 2.2. However, the spacecraft is still usually bright enough to interfere with astronomical research.
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astro-ph.IM 1years
2025 1verdicts
CONDITIONAL 1representative citing papers
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Initial Observations of the First BlueBird Spacecraft and a Model of Their Brightness
BlueBird satellites have a mean apparent magnitude of 3.44, can reach magnitude 0.5 near zenith, and a fitted model attributes their brightness pattern to new stand-off structures shadowing the antenna panel.