Space Junk Crowds Earth’s Orbit Yet People Don’t See It In Photos Of Earth, Here’s Why

It is a known fact that Earth's orbit is crowded with space junk. However, many tend to question this fact due to the seemingly lack of proof when it comes to actually noticing the presence of space debris in images of Earth taken by satellites, or the inability to view any orbital landfill circling the planet. Subsequently, many imagine the concern related to space junk as a conspiracy theory.

According to a Popular Science report, space junk exists and there is a valid reason why humans cannot spot it, even when the garbage is present in large measure. The main reason can be attributed to the vast size of the planet that makes human-made satellites and even the International Space Station (ISS) look puny in comparison.

The DSCOVER satellite's EPIC camera that takes spectacular photos of planet Earth from a million miles away is not able to register even the 357 feet long ISS. In order for an object to be picked up by EPIC's camera, it has to be at least eight to 10 kilometers wide. Therefore, it does not come across as surprising that space junk is not visible in photos of Earth captured from space.

"With the MODIS satellite, which has a resolution of one kilometer, you'd probably barely be able to make out something like the ISS," said Jay Herman, lead scientist of EPIC. "If it did pass through the field of view, you might see a bright spot, but you wouldn't see many details, so it would be really hard to identify."

So, is there any way to track space debris? Yes, there is, and interestingly, it does not need satellites, radar tracking or photos. Space junk-watching enthusiasts should step outside on a clear night with little moonlight and find a spot with low light pollution to sky gaze. Once the eyes get accustomed to the vastness of the night sky, they will be able to spot small pinpricks of light traveling steadily across the sky.