Ground-based astronomical observatories may become ineffective within the next 40 years due to pollution from aircraft emissions and climate change, an expert has stated.
The 40-year timeframe is based on extrapolation from the increasing data on air traffic growth.
“There are two factors at play here. Climate change is increasing the amount of cloud cover on the planet. The second factor is the rise of budget air travel,” said Professor Gerry Gilmore from the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge.
Current aircraft contrails only have temporary effects on astronomers. However, under favorable weather conditions, they can break apart into cloud formations that resemble natural clouds, making it difficult for scientists to differentiate. If the trend of budget air travel continues to rise, the era of ground-based astronomy could end much sooner than expected.
However, Dr. Hermann Mannstein from the German Aerospace Center noted that not the entire sky would be affected by flight paths, but only a certain proportion would be impacted.
T. An
