Line of stars moving across sky?

session savage

Hi all,

I was out for a run this morning at 6:00 and on my run I looked up and saw a 'star' moving across the sky. It moved just like a satellite. Then I noticed another directly following it then another. There was a line of 11 of these all moving perfectly aligned and evenly spaced from east to west at about 6:25.
At arms length away they would have been spaced about a foot apart.

Does anyone have any idea what they could have been?

ThunderCat

session savage wrote: »

Hi all,

I was out for a run this morning at 6:00 and on my run I looked up and saw a 'star' moving across the sky. It moved just like a satellite. Then I noticed another directly following it then another. There was a line of 11 of these all moving perfectly aligned and evenly spaced from east to west at about 6:25.
At arms length away they would have been spaced about a foot apart.

Does anyone have any idea what they could have been?

At a guess it may have been the Starlink Satellites belonging to Elon Musk's SpaceX that were launched recently. Very cool if so, must keep an eye out myself.

ps200306

Wow, yes, this was definitely Starlink. I gotta get out and see it, possibly right now!

It seems the whole second constellation is passing over us each morning at present, between 5.00am and 7.00am. All 60 of them of them go over, along with several pieces of Falcon 9 debris. The window is longer than a single orbit so we get to see most of them twice, for a total of over 100 sightings yesterday and 125 today! That said, they start off around mag. 6 which would be a difficult spot, but get down to mag. 2-3 after 6am. And although they are spread out across the orbit, they are currently strongly clustered so that yesterday there would have been one every few seconds between 6.15 am and 6.25 am, giving a "string of pearls" appearance. Today, Saturday 30-Nov, the string of pearls goes over twice with the brighter second sighting between 6.40 and 6.50 am and it will pass almost directly overhead from west to east at mag 2.6.

heavens-above has got the schedule up...

• Draggy globe live simulation, gives a good idea where the string-of-pearls is right now (passing over New Zealand into southern Pacific as I write so I have half an hour to get out there): https://www.heavens-above.com/starlink.aspx
• Main page, click the "Starlink -- all objects from second launch" link: https://www.heavens-above.com/main.aspx

Don't forget to set your location and time zone. Half a chance of clear weather for the next few days, so worth trying to catch. In the long run I don't know how the schedule evolves but the orbit looks similar to the ISS so maybe they come around periodically (but I'd imagine more often than the few weeks between ISS returns). Also, I guess the string of pearls will become more spread out over time. Just looking at the live simulation by eye, it looks to me like the orbit takes them up to latitude 53 or 54, so they have the potential to pass directly overhead in Ireland. Right, gotta go catch 'em!

MeTheMan

Seen similar yesterday morning. Around 6 in the morning. 4 heading in a line evenly spaced towards East. Then two slightly to each side of the line then a trailing one after that.

ps200306

A pox on Irish weather! (How many times has that been said?)

Got a good whole-sky viewing spot at 6.30. A clearance had set in from the east (and a chill wind with it) but the rest of the sky was clouded out. There was already sunlight in the east so no chance of seeing mag. 2-3 that low down. All I caught was a stubbed toe and slightly twisted knee before I remembered to use the phone torch. :pac:

P.S. Forgot to post this "how to spot" link earlier ... https://www.space.com/see-spacex-starlink-satellites-in-night-sky.html

emo72

I wouldn't be getting too excited about starlink. The sky will soon be full of them. Already it's causing difficulties for some astronomers. Basically space junk filling the sky ruining photography by streaking through photographs.

Wanderer78

what is the overall aim of the project?

Rashers Big Log

Wanderer78 wrote: »

what is the overall aim of the project?

As is always the case with a Musk venture/ scam the overall aim is self promotion, using government subsidies to keep his flailing Ponzi scheme afloat and personal enrichment

This is a good link to learn more about Musk’s carnival barking. https://elonmusk.today/

Mickeroo

Wanderer78 wrote: »

what is the overall aim of the project?

It's for a satellite based Internet service.

ps200306

Clouded out again this morning.

I don't think I'm destined to see these things. Last chance for the time being is tomorrow (3rd Dec), 6.20 - 6.30am.

Meanwhile: https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/spacex-starlink-astronomers-1.5378769

Wanderer78

Are they passing over in the evenings as well, at around 6ish, seen something last night?

ps200306

No, only mornings at present.

https://www.heavens-above.com/AllPassesFromLaunch.aspx?lat=53.3498&lng=-6.2603&loc=Dublin&alt=0&tz=GMT

Princess Calla

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Are they passing over in the evenings as well, at around 6ish, seen something last night?

So did I, around 18:30?

I only noticed one though, but it was freezing so wasn't hanging about outside.

Sparko

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Are they passing over in the evenings as well, at around 6ish, seen something last night?

The ISS was visible between 18.12 and 18.16 last night - could have been that?

Princess Calla

Sparko wrote: »

The ISS was visible between 18.12 and 18.16 last night - could have been that?

Yeah maybe it was a bit earlier than I thought. I was going to point it out to himself and the kids but they all think I'm already crazy I presume it's easily visible with the naked eye?

Sorry I didn't now.

Sorry for the following q's as I'm sure it's answered repeatedly but is there an easy website that shows the times of the flights as the 4 yo loves stargazing. He'd love the idea of seeing something extra

Oops!

That was the ISS you saw yesterday evening, seen it myself.

Yester

ps200306 wrote: »

Clouded out again this morning.

I don't think I'm destined to see these things. Last chance for the time being is tomorrow (3rd Dec), 6.20 - 6.30am.

Meanwhile: https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/spacex-starlink-astronomers-1.5378769

Cool. Looks like I'll be up early tomorrow morning. Heres hoping for clear skies.

ps200306

Princess Calla wrote: »

Sorry for the following q's as I'm sure it's answered repeatedly but is there an easy website that shows the times of the flights as the 4 yo loves stargazing. He'd love the idea of seeing something extra

https://www.heavens-above.com/


Don't forget to set your location (top right hand side) in order to get correct information. Only needs to be set roughly, e.g. Dublin etc.


The ISS is by far the brightest of them all, and is going over twice each evening at the moment. Nice and early -- perfect for a youngster. Look for the lowest brightness (mag.) numbers. -2 or -3 is very bright. I always try to show beginning skywatchers the ISS and tell them it's half a dozen people travelling at 28,000 km/h.


https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=53.3498&lng=-6.2603&loc=Dublin&alt=0&tz=GMT

e.g. 5.24 pm this evening:

Princess Calla

ps200306 wrote: »

https://www.heavens-above.com/


Don't forget to set your location (top right hand side) in order to get correct information. Only needs to be set roughly, e.g. Dublin etc.


The ISS is by far the brightest of them all, and is going over twice each evening at the moment. Nice and early -- perfect for a youngster. Look for the lowest brightness (mag.) numbers. -2 or -3 is very bright. I always try to show beginning skywatchers the ISS and tell them it's half a dozen people travelling at 28,000 km/h.


https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=53.3498&lng=-6.2603&loc=Dublin&alt=0&tz=GMT

e.g. 5.24 pm this evening:

Ah brilliant thank you, fingers crossed for clear skies

Princess Calla

Daddy, daddy I just saw the SPACE station... It was really bright, then it got dark and I couldn't see it any more..... It had Ass-Tro-Nauts in it TOO
!!!

cheers for the heads up

g0g

Incredible, what a sight! First time seeing it, thank you so much for the heads up! Not a cloud in the sky!

zerosugarbuzz

g0g wrote: »

Incredible, what a sight! First time seeing it, thank you so much for the heads up! Not a cloud in the sky!

Where are you seeing it from?

g0g

zerosugarbuzz wrote: »

Where are you seeing it from?

Bray, my garden. At one point I think I counted 10 very clearly visible to the naked eye at the same time.

patrickflem

Did anyone see the sky tonight at 20.30 literally like every star in the sky was moving at a rapid rate I never seen anything like it I tracked one constellation of stars from a distance come in fast them after about 2 minutes the whole sky stopped the way it should be and no I was not seeing things

ps200306

patrickflem wrote: »

Did anyone see the sky tonight at 20.30 literally like every star in the sky was moving at a rapid rate I never seen anything like it I tracked one constellation of stars from a distance come in fast them after about 2 minutes the whole sky stopped the way it should be and no I was not seeing things

I'm gonna hazard a guess it wasn't a change to the Earth's rotation or the proper motion of the stars. I'll hazard another guess that it was partly cloudy with a high wind. That can produce an extremely compelling optical illusion. Then it either cleared or you managed to fix your gaze on one particular spot and the illusion went away.

g0g

Excellent view of Starlink last night. Passing again tonight around 17:30 if no cloud cover

US2

Bit too cloudy and bright for me on that run, anyone see them?

Got that "the heavens above" app. Brilliant.

g0g

This evening looks really busy from 1800-1815 and in fact a good few 1730-1800 too if light is dark enough. Directly overheard going West to East. Looks like a recent batch all very close together.

ps200306

Are those predictions still accurate? I went out to spot them a couple of weeks ago and only saw two. I was wondering if the sats had spread out along their orbit by now. I'll give it another shot this evening and see what I see. There's another launch due tomorrow, but I think it'll be the darker painted sats designed to minimise light pollution.

Annd9

Happening right now over Dublin

g0g

ps200306 wrote: »

Are those predictions still accurate? I went out to spot them a couple of weeks ago and only saw two. I was wondering if the sats had spread out along their orbit by now. I'll give it another shot this evening and see what I see. There's another launch due tomorrow, but I think it'll be the darker painted sats designed to minimise light pollution.

The predictions are exact! Only question is cloud cover or light pollution near to you. Heavens Above app is perfect for it

ps200306

HOE. LEE. CRAP.

I take it back. That was amazing. Didn't even venture further than the back garden. Gave myself ten minutes of dark adjustment time. Faced east (the darker direction) and looked up as high as I could. Forty sats passed through the zenith from 18:02 to 18:11 or so. Quite a sight! Thanks for the tip.

EDIT: Slightly later for the main event tomorrow, 18:28 to 18:36 and sats not as high in the sky, around 70 degrees. Will make a difference in my suburban sky but should still be visible, weather allowing.

baaba maal

ps200306 wrote: »

HOE. LEE. CRAP.

I take it back. That was amazing. Didn't even venture further than the back garden. Gave myself ten minutes of dark adjustment time. Faced east (the darker direction) and looked up as high as I could. Forty sats passed through the zenith from 18:02 to 18:11 or so. Quite a sight! Thanks for the tip.

EDIT: Slightly later for the main event tomorrow, 18:28 to 18:36 and sats not as high in the sky, around 70 degrees. Will make a difference in my suburban sky but should still be visible, weather allowing.

It was absolutely stunning to see them last night- I only saw them by accident and then checked here-I am conflicted by enjoying seeing them and then reading that there are eventually going to be thousands of them.

Yester

I would love to see this but too much cloud cover last night. Not looking good for this evening either.

ps200306

baaba maal wrote: »

It was absolutely stunning to see them last night- I only saw them by accident and then checked here-I am conflicted by enjoying seeing them and then reading that there are eventually going to be thousands of them.

Same here. It's awesome seeing something that the ancients would have thought was a divine visitation had they seen it. But also, you know it's junk and there's going to be a lot more of it, and you definitely don't want it mucking up the view every night like a forest of celestial mobile masts.

Yester

Saw them this evening. It is indeed an impressive sight. Thanks for the heads up.

tuisginideach

What time tomorrow???

g0g

tuisginideach wrote: »

What time tomorrow???

0705-0710 tomorrow morning could be ok if still dark enough. Evening doesn't look as good for timing. Download the Heavens Above app as is mentioned above. You can add your location for exact predictions

Capt'n Midnight

https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

Jan. 29Falcon 9 • Starlink 3
Launch time: 1406 GMT (9:06 a.m. EST)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to launch the fourth batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 3. Delayed from Jan. 20 and Jan. 21. Scrubbed on Jan. 27 by upper level winds. [Jan. 27]

Hector Savage

Im surprised people are so excited about this here, his fleet of satellites are going to ruin dark sky sites and astrophotography ...

ps200306

It's kind of like those glitzy parades in Pyongyang. You can agree it's an amazing spectacle while still being filled with horror. :pac:

baaba maal

ps200306 wrote: »

It's kind of like those glitzy parades in Pyongyang. You can agree it's an amazing spectacle while still being filled with horror. :pac:

Excellent analogy!

Looking at 60 is "wow". Looking at 42,000 will be like the background to a JG Ballard novel.

Capt'n Midnight

One Web / Airbus chucks up their first batch of 34 out of 648 satellites.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51405079

ps200306

How many different "internets in the sky" do we actually need?

Capt'n Midnight

ps200306 wrote: »

How many different "internets in the sky" do we actually need?

When advised not to become a lawyer because the profession was crowded Daniel Webster replied "There's always room at the top"