Why can we see strange bright lights in the sky tonight in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Kasturi Company SpaceX Resurrected Starling satellites on May 4 – yes, Star Wars Day – from the 39A launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center (LC-39A). The Falcon 9 booster launched 60 Starling satellites into the atmosphere.

The last forecast was Friday night at 11:30 a.m. when the satellite train flew for the first time in the Bay Area sky from 9:24 p.m. to 9:25 p.m. According to the website, they are visible for about 5 minutes Heaven, You can link your location here to determine when satellites will go in your region. (Note: The scene may change slightly during the day.)

The page indicates that tonight Starling is above your head and 10 to 15 times brighter than the night before. The satellites will rise from the northwest and disappear into the shadow of the earth as they cross the southeast.

You can also check when satellites are moving in your region Here.

The Starling train is particularly noticeable in the sky because it is “60 times closer to Earth than conventional satellites”. CompaniesAnd can provide communication services to remote and low-lying areas.

Made of reflective materials, satellites are visible when sunlight hits them after sunset or a few hours before sunrise. International Astronomical Union.

Gerald McKean, an astronomer at the Sabot Space and Science Center in Auckland, said, “They start at 60 once a month. When they are first launched, they are small line satellites that are close to each other, and then slowly separate from each other. But astronomers are going crazy with light pollution, and they need to get them into the atmosphere over time. ”

The union and the National Radio Astronomical Observatory have raised concerns in the past that satellites are too bright and cause problems for astronomers.

“This organization generally considers radio as the principle of dark, peaceful skies, which is not only necessary to improve our understanding of the universe on which we depend, but also as a resource for all mankind and to preserve night life,” the union said. Published report Connected. “We still do not understand the effects of these thousands of satellites scattering in the night sky. Despite their good intentions, these satellites will threaten both galaxies.”

McKean said the Starling satellites, like other satellites, were interfering with their work at the Oakland Science Center.

“We have an asteroid search program that will take pictures of the sky to see moving objects,” he said. “What is happening is that these satellites are drawing white lines in the image. This will spoil the image. This used to be a minor issue, but it is now a major issue with more and more satellites. ”