The launch of several Starlink satellites captivated the skies once more, but this time with a light train.
SpaceX's Colorful Light Train
Since at least last week, a string of lights has been gliding across the skies of several states, such as Connecticut, Utah, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. They aren't aliens, yet they make for an unusual sight.
Instead, those are Starlink satellites that SpaceX has launched that are traveling in strings across the night sky.
Broadband internet is delivered to users all around the world through Starlink satellites, which were first launched in 2019. More than 3,000 Starlink satellites have been sent into orbit by SpaceX since that time. The Federal Communications Commission granted SpaceX's proposal to place 7,500 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit late last year, and the company intends to launch even more.
Latest Starlink Launch
On September 15 at 11:38 PM on Friday. ET, the Falcon 9 rocket at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida launched 22 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
This mission's first stage booster, which had previously launched SES O3b mPOWER, Crew-6, and the current three Starlink flights, was making its fifth flight.
The launch is mostly to blame for the recent train of lights that many people have observed flying across the sky. The satellites continue to move in a straight path once they have been put into orbit. The light will reflect off the satellites, making them viewable from the ground, as long as they remain at precisely the appropriate height and in the proper direction.
However, the satellites won't be visible for very long. A Starlink chain may flash across the sky several times in a single night because of how quickly the satellites travel, but unless they are struck by a geomagnetic storm, causing as many as 40 spacecraft to tumble from orbit shortly after their launch last year, these satellites will eventually establish their own orbits.
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Finding Starlink Satellites
There are a few internet resources that can assist locals in locating a nearby satellite while they are still observable.
Users of the web and mobile application Find Starlink have three options for tracking nearby satellite chains: by coordinates, by city, or by using the "Live Map" tab. When a user selects one of the first two choices, a results page detailing the likelihood of seeing another Starlink parade overhead will be displayed. The creator of Find Starlink claims that in order to avoid having a cluttered results page, it simply tracks the first satellite in each chain.
Satellitemap.space, which can be accessed both online and through the App Store, uses tracking information from space-track.org to display Starlink locations. This website uses a globe that looks like Google Earth to show the whereabouts of Starlink satellites and chains. Each satellite is clickable, allowing users to view details such as its height, launch date, and recent course. On the map, users can mark their homes, and the website will determine whether and when a certain satellite will pass overhead.
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