Interesting. I wonder if the canister could fit in a modern microsat. Might be possible to recreate it for (relatively) cheap.

Over five years, 16 groups conducted observations at 45 globally distributed stations, about 3000-4000 km apart from each other.[4][7][12] 12 mobile tracking stations were used, which observed during favorable weather conditions during a few minutes of twilight each evening.[7][why?][clarification needed] BC4 cameras were used to photograph the satellite.[12] Observations were taken when the satellite was visible simultaneously to multiple stations at the same time.[12] This resulted in the fixing of the precise locations of 38 different points around the world.[4] This could be used to help determine the precise locations of the continents relative to each other, and to help determine the precise shape and size of the earth.

that is amazing! so cool

Remember this experience when someone "knows" something is AI because It's "obvious", and don't call me Shirley!

I thought the picture surely had to be CG or AI created at first.

Same... This photo is so surreal, I immediately thought of Simon Stalenhag.

Big boyo.

Not a smart boyo tho.

At first I was like, what AI is this… Oho. Very cool!

I read the book! Michael Crichton. Same guy who wrote Jurassic park

You know its reflective surface? Well, uh...

I hate to be the one non-scientist that picks this up, guys....

...What worries me is that it's reflecting everything but us.

2hrs 14m

You may want to sit down, because I'm about to rock your world.

Compliance!

1hr 30m

We made better materials to reflect the sun stuff at some point. The chrome does look dank AF though

I don't leak navigator, you leak.

I'm glad someone commented this cause Dune 2 was the first thing that popped to my mind

Almost looks like the Sphere in that movie Sphere.

Naked, I know that much.

If my understanding of physics is correct, they'd have to be slap bang in the centre of the reflected image (assuming a perfect sphere), so somewhere on the framework of the corner of the building.

I think standing near the red things in the middle of the reflection. Look at the size of the forklift in the reflection for reference.

The center line of lights in the reflection is higher than the location on the wall, which leads me to believe that the photographer is just above vertical center. * Due to the nature of photographing a sphere horizontally they would have to be exactly centered.

I think they're somewhere around here

i noticed that in the OP too and it confused me a bit. then i noticed the dark corner bottom left, which is probably a bit of the wall of the dark room the picture was taken out of. that's why the photographer isn't in the reflection.

'Sphere' and 'Navigator' come to mind...

I think they're on the end of the catwalk right above the small building in the corner, which would make sense since they'd have to appear in the middle of the sphere unless the image is cropped. Hard to be sure with this resolution, but I'd bet those few lighter pixels are the person holding the camera.