Experts who spoke to Insider say radio astronomy helps us study dark matter and look for alien life. The Starlink satellites — chosen for their abundance in the sky compared to other low-orbit satellites — were observed using the Low-Frequency Array telescope in the Netherlands. Using the telescope, scientists detected frequencies from the Starlink satellites at 110 to 188 megahertz — a unit of measure used for electromagnetic waves. "We are not saying that right now that radio astronomy is doomed, and that we will not be able to do astronomy anymore. There is also the financial loss: Millions of dollars go into planning and building these massive radio telescopes over decades.

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Persons: Elon, Vahe, Peroomian, Federico Di Vruno, Di Vruno, Jean, Luc Margot, we're, Margot, Musk Organizations: Elon Musk's, Service, Netherlands Institute of Radio Astronomy, Astrophysics, SpaceX, University of Southern, Federal Communications Commission, Iridium, Elon Musk Locations: Wall, Silicon, Netherlands, Europe, University of Southern California, Los Angeles