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The Brightest Man-made Star in the Night Is About to Enter

Explore The Brightest Man-made Star in the Night Is About to Enter with a clear overview of the key steps, requirements, and practical context.

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Satellite research on the universe Mayak - Russia's lighthouse will replace Thien Lang to become the most luminous object in the night sky when launched into space in July. This article explains the key facts and context behind apparent brightness.

Key Facts About Apparent Brightness

Apparent Brightness: Graphic of Mayak satellite when launched on Earth's orbit.(Photo: Mayak.) Graphic of Mayak satellite when launched on Earth's orbit.(Photo: Mayak.)

On July 14, the space research satellite Mayak of Moscow Polytechnic University, Russia will be launched by Soyuz-2 boosters to orbit Earth.

Thanks to the sunlight reflection system being opened in orbit, the Mayak satellite will have an apparent brightness of -10. At that time, it would become the brightest "artificial star" in the sky of the Earth, so the light of familiar stars could be overshadowed.

Why Apparent Brightness Matters

Visible brightness or apparent star level is the scale of brightness of celestial bodies. The lower the apparent brightness, the brighter the celestial body. The sun has a visible brightness of -27, a full moon is -13. Currently the brightest artificial object is the International Space Station with an apparent brightness of -6, which is brighter than Venus with an apparent brightness of about -5.

With an apparent brightness of -10, Mayak is brighter than any other star in the sky, it is only slightly behind the Moon. Researchers can use the brightness of Mayak to study how best to calculate the apparent brightness of small satellites.

Light on Earth's atmosphere is recorded from satellites.(Video: U2Seek Truth.)

Mayak, which is very small in size, only 340.5x100x100 mm, weighs about 3.6 kg, contains power, control systems and most importantly, sunlight reflectors. When entering the orbit 600km from the Earth, these panels can be released in orbit to create a triangular sail with an area of 16 square meters and reflect light.

When the Mayak satellite completes its journey, the aerodynamic brake brake will be activated, which will help scientists test the new motion stop system to remove satellites.

FAQ

What is apparent brightness?

This article explains the key facts and context behind apparent brightness.

What makes apparent brightness notable?

Why Apparent Brightness Matters Visible brightness or apparent star level is the scale of brightness of celestial bodies.

What are the key facts about apparent brightness?

Researchers can use the brightness of Mayak to study how best to calculate the apparent brightness of small satellites.

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