The GN-z11-Flash Event Can be a Satellite Glint

TL;DR

The paper proposes that the transient event near a z~11 galaxy, previously attributed to cosmic phenomena, can be explained by sunlight reflecting off high-orbit satellites or space debris, challenging earlier astrophysical interpretations.

Contribution

It demonstrates that satellite or space debris reflections can account for short transients previously thought to be cosmic events, providing an alternative explanation.

Findings

Satellite reflections brighter than 11th magnitude occur >10 deg^{-2} day^-1 near the equator.

Reflection rates at higher declinations are 5-50 times lower but still significant.

Satellite reflection rates are much higher than those estimated for gamma-ray bursts.

Abstract

Recently Jiang et al. reported the discovery of a possible short duration transient, detected in a single image, spatially associated with a z~11 galaxy. Jiang et al. and Kahn et al. suggested the transient originates from a Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB), while Padmanabhan & Loeb argued the flash is consistent with a supernova shock breakout event of a 300 M_sun population III star. Jiang et al. argued against the possibility that this event originated from light reflected off a satellite. Here we show that reflection of sunlight from a high-orbit satellite or a piece of space debris is a valid and reasonable explanation. As shown in recent works, the rate of point-like satellite reflections, brighter than 11th magnitude, is >10 deg^{-2} day^-1 near the equatorial plane. At higher declinations the rate is 5--50 times lower, but still significant: about four orders of magnitudes higher than the rate estimated for GRBs.