Satellites keep photobombing the Hubble telescope, and it’s getting worse | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessCreatorsMobilePolicySecurityTransportationReviewsExpandLaptopsPhonesHeadphonesTabletsSmart HomeSmartwatchesSpeakersDronesScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthEntertainmentExpandGamesTV ShowsMoviesAudioAIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee All ShoppingCarsExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersOther TransportationFeaturesVideosExpandYouTubeTikTokInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Satellites keep photobombing the Hubble telescope, and it’s getting worseComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...NewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsScienceCloseSciencePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ScienceEnvironmentCloseEnvironmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EnvironmentSatellites keep photobombing the Hubble telescope, and it’s getting worseLight pollution from the exploding number of satellites orbiting Earth is making it harder to peer into space. Light pollution from the exploding number of satellites orbiting Earth is making it harder to peer into space. by Justine CalmaCloseJustine CalmaSenior Science ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Justine CalmaDec 3, 2025, 10:05 PM UTCLinkShareImage: NASA / Borlaff, Marcum, Howell (Nature, 2025)Justine CalmaCloseJustine CalmaPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Justine Calma is a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home, a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals.It’s getting harder and harder for the Hubble and other telescopes orbiting Earth to capture pristine images thanks to the sudden surge in satellite launches. Satellite trails could mess up nearly 40 percent of images the Hubble takes and up to 96 percent of those taken by three other telescopes over the next decade, according to a study by NASA researchers published today in the journal Nature.That could jeopardize scientists’ ability to spot worrisome asteroids or discover new planets, they warn. Our view of space just gets fuzzier without efforts to limit light pollution from new megaconstellations of satellites.The scale of the problem is astounding“My career has been focused on trying to make telescopes see better … try to make the telescopes more sensitive, more precise, getting better images,” says Alejandro Borlaff, a NASA research scientist and lead author of the study. “For the first time, we found something that may actually be worse in the future.”The scale of the problem is astounding. Cheaper launch costs and the proliferation of telecommunications satellites like Starlink’s have opened up a Pandora’s box of new challenges in space. Satellite trails, which look like streaks of light, were already detected in 4.3 percent of images taken by the Hubble between 2018 and 2021. The number of satellites orbiting Earth has grown from 5,000 in 2019 to more than 15,800 today, according to the European Space Agency. That number could reach as high as 560,000 if currently planned satellite launches proceed over the next 10 years or so.Borlaff and his colleagues simulated the view that four telescopes are likely to have after all those launches. With that much crowding in space, they project that the Hubble telescope could inadvertently capture an average of 2.14 satellites per exposure. The Chinese Space Station Telescope Xuntian, one of the other telescopes included in the study that’s expected to launch next year, could see an average of 92 satellites per exposure. The Hubble is less likely to catch as many satellites in its images because of its narrower field of view. Fortunately, other powerful telescopes, including the James Webb, orbit far enough from Earth to avoid light contamination from satellites.The issue goes beyond accidentally including a satellite (or many) among the visions of swirling nebulae, stars, and distant planets these telescopes capture. The satellites reflect light from the Sun, Moon, or Earth, which can be bright enough to obscure details that might otherwise be captured in an image were it not for that light pollution. Researchers might not be able to detect a change in the brightness of a star that could indicate that there’s an exoplanet there, Borlaff explains. “You will lose that information because a satellite passed in front of you.”Now’s the time to find solutions, he says, before there are so many satellites in orbit. Efforts to design darker, less reflective satellites have posed new problems because they tend to get hotter and shed more infrared light as a result. Researchers have also tried strategizing to take images at times and locations with a lower likelihood of satellites crossing their path, an endeavor that’s harder to do the more crowded it gets out there. It’ll take more coordination on the ground with companies and governments launching satellites, maybe by placing them in orbit lower than where the telescopes are to avoid obstructing their view or regulating where they can be deployed.“There has to be an optimal way to place constellations and space telescopes … so we can coexist in a sustainable way,” Borlaff says.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Justine CalmaCloseJustine CalmaSenior Science ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Justine CalmaEnvironmentCloseEnvironmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EnvironmentNASACloseNASAPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NASANewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsScienceCloseSciencePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ScienceSpaceCloseSpacePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All SpaceMost PopularMost PopularSteam Machine today, Steam Phones tomorrowOpenAI declares ‘code red’ as Google catches up in AI raceCrucial is shutting down — because Micron wants to sell its RAM and SSDs to AI companies insteadSilicon Valley is rallying behind a guy who sucksHBO Max’s Mad Men 4K release is the opposite of a remasterThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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The escalating proliferation of satellites in Earth’s orbit poses a significant and growing threat to the operation of crucial astronomical telescopes, particularly the Hubble Space Telescope, according to a recent study published in *Nature* by NASA researchers led by Alejandro Borlaff. The core issue centers on “light pollution” – specifically, the reflections of sunlight, moonlight, and Earthlight from the numerous satellite trails, which are now actively hindering the ability of these telescopes to acquire high-quality observational data.

The study, conducted by Borlaff and colleagues, projects that the Hubble telescope faces the potential of capturing an average of 2.14 satellite trails per exposure, while future telescopes like the Chinese Xuntian are projected to record upwards of 92. This dramatic increase in orbital traffic, driven by the expansion of telecommunications constellations – most notably Starlink – has led to a concerning reduction in the clarity of images obtained by these vital instruments. As of 2025, over 15,800 satellites already orbit the planet, and projections suggest this number could climb to 560,000 within the next decade.

The implications of this satellite light pollution are far-reaching. Astronomers rely on these telescopes for a variety of critical investigations, including the detection of near-Earth asteroids – a crucial element of planetary defense – and the discovery of exoplanets orbiting distant stars. A satellite’s reflection disrupts the faint light signatures that astronomers are trying to capture, making it significantly more difficult to confirm the existence of planetary systems or to track subtle changes in the brightness of stars that might indicate the presence of orbiting planets. As Borlaff explained, the interference effectively “loses that information,” reducing the certainty of observations.

The research reveals that the problem is already significant, with detected satellite trails accounting for 4.3 percent of Hubble’s images between 2018 and 2021. The team simulated what four telescopes – Hubble, Xuntian, and others – are likely to see as the number of satellites continues to grow, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Efforts to mitigate the issue have been met with new obstacles. Attempts to design satellites with darker, less reflective surfaces have inadvertently created heat problems, leading to increased infrared emissions. Furthermore, strategies to avoid satellite trails – like scheduling observations during times with minimal orbital traffic – become increasingly challenging as the number of satellites in orbit rises, thus becoming a complex puzzle to solve.

Ultimately, the researchers argue that a coordinated approach is needed – involving satellite operators, governments, and space agencies – to establish sustainable co-existence. This necessitates optimal placement strategies for constellations and telescopes, aiming to minimize the chances of direct interference. Borlaff specifically highlighted the need for a “sustainable way” to share space. Finding this optimal path is crucial before the effects of this light pollution become irreparable, jeopardizing our ability to explore the universe through these invaluable tools.