Cross posted from https://thelemmy.club/post/51693681

Satellite launches have increased exponentially since 2020, and now space debris is increasing at a similar unbelievable rate, making the hypothetical Keppler Effect (also Kepler Syndrome) a very real possibility in the near future. As this material eventually deorbits and rains down into the planet, it vaporizes into metallic oxides like Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) and toxic compounds, which poison the air and also degrade Ozone (O3), the delicate oxygen layer in the stratosphere which provides life from harmful UV radiation. Geophysicist Stefan Burns reports on the situation…