Author(s)
Vartika Shekhar, Sarah Tanveer, and Ali Abedi
Abstract
Over the past decade, Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites have grown at an unprecedented rate, enabling new advances in connectivity, IoT applications, and scientific research. To support further exploration in this area, our visualization addresses a simple but fundamental question: which satellites are within the field of view of an observer at a given time? Answering this provides insights into the implications of LEO satellite growth, including effects on internet connectivity and radio frequency interference. The Satellite Visualization Dashboard provides interactive tools to explore satellite visibility from a specified ground station within a chosen time window. Built with Streamlit, Skyfield, and Plotly, it allows users to upload a TLE file or retrieve the latest Starlink data from Celestrak, while configuring parameters such as latitude, longitude, time range, and minimum elevation angle. The system processes this input and presents results in multiple views, including a Doppler shift graph showing frequency variations over time, a polar plot mapping satellites by azimuth and elevation, and a dome plot offering a 3D perspective of orbital tracks above the ground station. With options for filtering, time controls, and animations, the dashboard provides an intuitive way to understand satellite visibility and dynamics from any ground location.