Just as we started getting questions about a bright line in the sky, Ethan provided the answer via Twitter – that was a string of more than 50 Starlink internet-service satellites, launched earlier today. Ethan’s photo is above; MJ‘s photo via email is below:
Here’s video of the launch. The announcer noted that Starlink is currently serving 45 markets in 38 countries. We’ve had a few of these sightings before, including this one last year.
I saw this when I took my sister’s dog for a walk in the evening and I couldn’t figure out what it was. But literally 15 minutes later I see this post on the West Seattle Blog. It’s good to know you have space covered too! What’s interesting is that when I tracked it across the sky, the light source from the satellites seemed to “turn off” at the end and the string disappeared (at least from what my eyes saw).
The light “turning off” was just them getting in the earth’s shadow. When you could see them, they were just reflecting the sun.
“What’s that [helicopter, plane, weird light, unusual bird, etc.] up in the sky?” has long been one of our coverage specialties …
It’s reflected sunlight, like the moon reflects sunlight. It’s also giving huge populations internet that didn’t have it before, including Ukraine since Russia cut off their internet. As far as earth orbit pollution, add them to the already 4500 satellites currently orbiting earth. Those do all sorts of things, including communications, GPS, etc
When I was a kid I used to look up at the night sky and think to myself “I wonder if we will ever truly monetize outer space so that a few people can be billionaires as a result?” and sure enough here we are in 2022 and we finally did it. It’s honestly amazing what we can do as a species.
That’s one way of looking at it. Or, you can look at Starlink as the vehicle that can provide satellite internet to the developing world/rural areas (though it’s expensive now) and an indispensable asset to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. We’ve lost the art of civil discourse in our society and the ability to see the gray in things. Elon Musk, Starlink, billionaires – not everything is black and white.
Hi,I saw the string of lights last night between 9:30 and 10pm here in Montreal. Jeff
I like to think I saw the same string of lights as you, I am near Sebago Lake in Maine, but it would have been looking in your direction. I found this article trying to figure out what that was. I got a photo of it with my phone but its not very helpful
A log of us saw it in Haverhill New Hampshire too. It was a solid bright line moving across the sky for several seconds before vanishing.
I saw it Friday night 8/19/22 in the Adirondacks, NY. We thought we saw a UFO and were freaking out until we looked it up and saw it was Starlink. Pretty wild those few minutes though!
I,m Ray in Quinlan TX. I saw the string of lights this morning and I kinda freaked out too. It was about 5:30 am. It was really bright and pretty. Especially the way it started from one end and went to the other end disappearing until it was just gone. Cool!
I just saw it 4:30/5 am in Flagstaff! without glasses and in my early morning haze I somehow thought it was a lit up banner pulled by an airplane, ha! Then threw on my glasses and thought it might be impossible meteor shower configuration, quite impressive to see up there! Thanks for this post and thanks for everyone sharing their sightings of it as well! Cheers everyone
At alki at sunset last night and saw what looked like contrails going directly vertical very high into the sky. Wondered what this was. It was before dark.
Might not have been same thing you saw but in a peek view while out walking in Gatewood at sunset, we noticed a “sun dog” straight up from the setting sun …
Thanks WSB! It was a white line starting low over the sound rising into the clouds and not above or around the sun itself.
Elon Musk. Starlink Internet. I’d sign up in a second if it wasn’t so expensive.
Seen them while it the campfire aprox 920. Five islands nova scotia
I’m so glad to see this & pass it on to the boss – I noticed the string of lights when I was closing the shades for lights out. By the time I got my robe on & talked the wife into going out on the deck to see them everything was gone and she was left wondering if it was time to schedule me for a dementia exam (straight string of lights in outer space – yea, sure). Thanks WSB!
That is so cool! I got scared at first wondering what that was. But I am so happy to see that someone like Musk will help people in remote locations to have internet.
Saw them 8/20/22 over Spearfish SD about 9:15 pm (MT). Thought my eyes were playing tricks on me! Thought maybe the aliens 👽 were caravaning in!! Lol
Saw a huge miles long double rows of lights streaming along sky then disappeared after it entered an area, poof gone! WTH ? I’m like did I see the mothership? R they HERE????
I can’t wait until that’s all we can see when we look up.Its ok though, the light we see from stars is so old the stars are mostly all long burnt out. Who wants to stare at dead light when you can marvel at people in remote places being able to download the latest remastered Beatles album. Soon to see the stars you will just have to pay them to take a trip on one of their rockets. Unless you are lucky enough to be able to escape to andromeda once they are done monetizing us and everything else.
Saw this same thing last night (8/20) about 9:45pm. From our back yard in W/S. There was string of lights then gone, looked same as pictures from night before.
Same here. I wonder if we’ll be able to see it again tonight? (There’s a “Find Starlink” app for those who want it.)
FYI
USCG to test LEO communications in Arctic (janes.com) so our Coasties can call home from the North Pole.
How disappointing! Saw this last night while having a night swim in Georgian Bay about 9:30… Have been calling it a Sky Train all day, a much more romantic notion than a string of satellites. Although we’re on the waiting list, so if they dropped one or two off in this neighborhood I’ll be happy.
It was wild! We were all out in the boat Saturday night and saw it from a distance and as it moved across the sky from west to east it appeared to get brighter and closer and then disappeared. I thought at first it was a satellite breaking up in earths atmosphere. Now I know. I was pointing out other single satellites to everyone as they moved across the sky so we were all looking up. It was a clear night and great for star watching, As the Starlink satellites moved they appeared to get closer and coming right at us… It was an amazing sight.
Just saw the train of lights in Magnolia, Ohio at10:00. pm. It was pretty amazing!!
We we’re up north Wisconsin (Pickerel) about 90 min NW of Green Bay on Sunday night the 23rd and around 10pm we saw a string (chain) of stars/lights. It was so cool, but couldn’t figure what they were or where they came from. I’d be interested in seeing the trajectory of the Starlink to find out where these satellites have been and we’re going.
StarlinkI saw these bright dashes from the western coast of Martha’s Vineyard at 9:49 PM (21:49) (according to my iphone).From what I had read, the first few hundred Starlink satellites were launched before SpaceX had consulted any professional astronomers about how they were about to put several thousand, silver, highly-reflective suitcase-sized satellites into low-earth orbit. Their goal (according to Starwalk.space on 8/24/2022). is about 12,000 satellites, possibly up to 42,000. Then, the Astronomy world first saw the parades of brilliantly bright objects in their telescopes (when they are reflecting the sun), ruining their telescopes’ images which need the darkest sky possible. Scientists complained and the Starwalk.space site today says “SpaceX has already tested two prototype satellites with darkened surfaces: Darksat and VisorSat…..Now, all satellites beginning with the Starlink-8 mission have anti-reflective surfaces.” As this story and your cheerful comments demonstrate, it is a fun surprise that connected all of us, from widely spaced addresses that seem to be far from major cities and their light-pollution. And the fact that there aren’t replies from major cities also tells us how much current light-pollution already deprives city-folk of clear views of their “heavens.” It is also sad that ALL 7 Billion of US who share the earth’s ONE-and-ONLY night sky don’t have a choice about when these sparkle by every hour or so. And what might this do to all the birds and fish who navigate by the stars?
Tonight, here in north Seattle, on August 29th, 2022, at 4:40 am, there was a long TRAIN of a space ship in a straight line going from east to west, in the night sky. I saw it pass quietly–no blinking beacon, while watching Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in the early morning sky.
Yes! I saw it this morning as well. So, I guess these UFO’s are no longer ‘unidentified’ any more. I thought for a moment that Martians were landing.
just saw a row of lights in the sky as I was hanging the washing out and wondered what they could be so had a Google and found this blog, amazed to see this to be fair as thought it was something else ?!. Feltwell, norfolk, uk
30AUG2022 About 5 A.M. PST a string of white lights 12 to 15 evenly spaced travel at a high rate of speed from West to East a little North of Mount Baker. I wonder if the media will report on it.
I saw this lights on 05 September 2022 at 04:35 am from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada.
I saw them this morning around 5:30 am in Coldwater, MS. I thought I was crazy!
Sorry, comment time is over.
| 44 COMMENTS