Did you happen to see this line of lights in the night sky on Saturday? It was not a UFO or even the International Space Station, although there was a great passing of the ISS last night, but these lights were SpaceX's Starlink Satellites!
If you spot them, you will notice they will move in the same direction at the same speed. These satellites almost look like a train of lights in the sky! There are thousands of Starlink satellites orbiting Earth, and another 22 launched from Cape Canaveral Friday night. These long strings of light are only easily visible shortly after launch because once they get to the proper altitude of 342 miles, it is difficult to distinguish them from stars. We can also only see the Starlink satellites when they reflect sunlight because they do not have any of their own lights!
According to Findstarlink.com, Northeast Ohio should be able to see the chain of satellites again over the next few days. Below are the opportunities with the best visibility.
- Sunday evening: At 8:35 p.m., the satellites will be visible for 4 minutes with a peak height of 86 degrees. Look from west to east.
- Monday evening: At 8:37 p.m., the satellites will be visible for 4 minutes with a peak height of 61 degrees. Look from west to southeast.
- Tuesday evening: At 8:36 p.m., the satellites will be visible for 4 minutes with a peak height of 36 degrees. Look from west to south.
Unfortunately, variable clouds will try to block these light trains, but there should be breaks in the clouds (especially on Monday & Tuesday) just like Saturday evening, so it is worth a look! Keep in mind that these times are not always 100% accurate because the orbit of the satellites can change, and the data is not shared as clearly as NASA does with the ISS. If you do see them - be sure to let The Power of 5 Weather Team and News 5 know!
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