spacex starlink satellite over europe apr 19 2020 (earthsky.org)
Posted by Deborah Byrd in Human World | Space | April 20, 2020
On April 19, 2020, many in western Europe were stunned to spot a line of satellites crossing the night sky. They were the SpaceX Starlinks satellites.
https://video.dailymail.co.uk/video/mol/2020/04/19/3227845344006879488/1024x576_MP4_3227845344006879488.mp4
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The first test launches of Starlink satellites were in February, 2018. But the satellites blasted into the consciousness of amateur (and probably many professional) astronomers in May, 2019, after a launch of 60 of the first true working satellites by SpaceX. Netherlands-based satellite tracker Marco Langbroek stunned space fans shortly afterwards with a video of dozens of the Starlink satellites soaring overhead. See Marco’s video here.
We skywatchers had, frankly, never seen anything quite like this.
At first, it seemed exciting. Then, many astronomers got mad.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8235355/Elon-Musks-Starlink-satellites-cause-stir-streak-skies-western-Europe.html#i-961c59779bc039a5
SpaceX plans to launch some 12,000 of these satellites in all. SpaceX – and astronomers around the world – have been surprised at their brightness in the night sky, and many worry that our night skies will become polluted with these SpaceX Starlink satellite trains, as they’re sometimes called. Many fear they will adversely affect studies of the universe around us that can be done from the ground.
Last I heard, SpaceX was trying to find a way to make future satellites less bright. But so far they haven’t accomplished it. The next SpaceX satellite launch will be this week, April 23.
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more: https://earthsky.org/space/spacex-starlink-satellite-over-europe-apr-19-2020?
Man, if I were an astronomer, I'd be mad enough to spit nails about now. Who actually needs, or even wants, this many satellites, other than Elon Musk ?
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