Seeing bright lights in the sky? It may be a Starlink satellite
Nov 29, 2024, 5:57 PM | Updated: Dec 3, 2024, 2:37 pm
A light trail likely left from a Starlink satellite over Kaysville on Nov. 27, 2024. (Courtesy, anonymous AsYouSeeIt submission)
(Courtesy, anonymous AsYouSeeIt submission)
SALT LAKE CITY– Utahns across the state have been seeing light trails traveling through the sky. It doesn’t appear to be a shooting star, so what could it be?
Starlink satellites traveling through space leave a trail of small, light dots in their wake.
A Starlink satellite’s light trails seen in Utah’s night sky. (Courtesy, Stephanie Gunderson)
SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, owns Starlink Services, LLC. Starlink Services operates satellites that use a “low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more,” the company’s website states.
The satellites, used to provide high-speed internet to users worldwide, travel within 340 miles from Earth, leaving behind light trails that are visible around the globe.
The company has a page that provides information on when the satellites may be visible to different areas around the world. So, next time you see an unfamiliar trail of light in the night sky, you can check their live map to see if the celestial phenomenon is just the latest in space technology.
