Science Projects

In this episode of the Deep Sage 9 StarCast, Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski break down a week of intense celestial activity—from sonic booms in Ohio to a surprise visitor in a Houston kitchen. We dive into the technical side of our personal observatories, discussing the Raspberry Pi upgrades and software shifts required to track everything from the ISS to the growing fleet of 10,000 Starlink satellites.

Inside This Episode

• Meteorite Bonanza: A detailed look at the 7-ton meteor that rocked Ohio and the 1-ton fragment that recently landed in a Houston home.
• The 10,000 Milestone: SpaceX hits a five-digit satellite count, and we discuss the potential “Kessler syndrome” and the environmental impact of orbital decay.
• Observatory Tech: Mike shares his setup for the new ZWO ASI676 all-sky camera, while Jay discusses upgrading his meteor array to the Indy All Sky platform.
• Space Weather & Kp Index: A practical guide to understanding geomagnetic storm scales and how to use the Hp30 index to time your aurora viewing.
• Dark Sky Advocacy: Why we track persistent contrails and how you can participate in a petition regarding orbital data centers.

Mentioned Links & Resources

• Houston Meteorite
• Jay’s Website: skylapser.com
• Mike’s Website: wilderness.com
• Organizations:
• Dark Sky International
• Global Meteor Network
• Crestone Dark Sky Foundation
• Tracking Tools:
• FlightRadar24 (ADS-B Tracking)
• Jonathan’s Space Report (Satellite Totals)