Starlink satellites may be visible from Michigan in the early morning hours for the next several days, weather depending.
According to a website dedicated to tracking these, a train of Starlink satellites – which looks like a long string of little bright lights – will be over Michigan on the mornings of July 6, 7 and 8. Those interested in seeing these should look toward the south-southwest around 5:10 a.m. The satellites will move quicky toward the east-northeast and will only be visible for three to four minutes. For specific viewing and timing information for your location, click here.
Starlink satellites provide internet coverage to remote locations around the world. Owned by SpaceX, there are thousands of them in a lower orbit than the typical geostationary satellite. Space.com reports that there are over 6,000 Starlink satellites in space, each with a life span of approximately five years. Astronomers have expressed concerns about these, stating that such a large number of satellites may hinder viewing of the night sky.
When launched, Starlink satellites can look ominous as they are fixed in a straight line, moving throughout the sky like a train of dots. Interestingly, these satellites don’t have any lights and are only visible from reflecting sunlight. Because of that, they appear to simply vanish in the sky when the sunlight is no longer reflected.
Source link
