CFHT UM2025 - Presentation Details
Abstract Details
Title: The Impact of Satellite Streaks on the CLASSY Survey
Presenter: Jack Patterson
Abstract:
The rapid deployment of low-Earth orbit megaconstellations has led to a proliferation of satellite streaks in wide-field survey images, complicating trans-Neptunian object (TNO) detection and tracking. These streaks obscure TNOs, degrade astrometric precision, and skew photometric measurements, necessitating accurate detection and mitigation strategies. We assess the impact of streaks on CFHT’s CLASSY survey and a small minor planet program, evaluating 11 existing detection methods on both differenced and non-differenced images. Using a standardized framework and a labeled streak dataset, we analyze performance across varying streak widths, brightness levels, and morphologies. Results reveal persistent challenges, including high false positive rates and incomplete or poorly localized detections due to time-varying streak morphology. We expect the growing density of streaks to continue as satellite deployment accelerates and intend to refine promising detection and mitigation strategies for future survey work.