Rare Image Starlink V1 Shark-Fin-Configuration

[ralfvandebergh]

Starlink brightness mitigation configurations are well-optimized so that only the satellite bus can be seen from the ground and the solar array(s) are invisible.

In some rare occasions, more then just the Starlink satellite bus in operational orbit can be seen from the ground. Here we see a part of the (actually very faint) solar array sticking out from the flat plate V1 bus (Starlink-3933) to the Zenith (Shark-Fin-Configuration). The viewing angle is as that we see the bus from below and a part of the array is visible on top in this ground-based image.

As the visible part of the solar array is very faint, and the exposure is adjusted to that, a large part of the brighter bus is overexposed. But also still a part of the bus shows some detail.
The (rarely) visible part of the array is so faint that it doesn't further play any significant role in the total brightness of the satellite.

Please click on image for full resolution or: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=61948.0;attach=2337121;image

Ralf Vandebergh

New X-account: https://x.com/ralfvandebergh2 (posting on the account will start as soon a there is minimum of say 10-15 space-related followers)

[ralfvandebergh]

General view of a V1 satellite in operational orbit - Only the bus is visible. (Note the visible detail on the bus).

[ralfvandebergh]

Another V1 bus operational orbit general view. So without visible solar array. (Credits: R. Vandebergh)

[cpushack]

makes the 'ends' (top and bottom edges in your pics) look slightly different compared to the previous picture

[ralfvandebergh]

Realize you are looking from more then 500km through an atmosphere - & different illumination & different viewing angles.

Width of the satellite bus is only 1.3 meters, so it's a pretty small scale you're looking at. At that scale there are small differences per image very quickly, also.

The angular image scale is often added to the picture (see the first 2 pictures). Scales used here are from 1.0 arcsecond to 0.5 arcsecond. Telescopes have limitations also.

[ralfvandebergh]

Updated processing. Click image for full quality/resolution or https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=61948.0;attach=2338595;image

[ralfvandebergh]

It's not always easy to explain the imaging level of certain ground-based imagery. The following example may help;
This image-set explains how good the left image actually is. To the right for comparison is a 'general' frame, this is what you usually got, and this is already one of the better frames you got from a session.

The second smaller set shows some more general frames with the same details

[ralfvandebergh]

High resolution images of Starlink-3599 and Starlink-3619 busses in operational orbit taken exactly at the second 1 hour apart (!) in June 2023. Operational orbit general views (no solar arrays).