[ad_1]
Swarms of satellites brighter than any star in the night sky will fly over Britain again tonight.
The dazzling gadgets look a bit like shooting stars and are built by SpaceX, an American rocket company that wants to stream super-fast Wi-Fi to people in orbit.
12
12
UK stargazers have already received two rare submissions since Sunday, with a third scheduled for tonight, and we have all the information on how to spot them.
What is Starlink?
Starlink is a project led by SpaceX, a California-based rocket company led by controversial billionaire Elon Musk.
It is in the process of sending a satellite network, known as a mega constellation, that can transmit Internet coverage to anywhere on Earth.
More than 300 satellites have been launched so far, and the network will eventually hit 12,000, reaching 42,000 in the future.
SpaceX ships its satellites in batches of 60 at a time. Each group is launched on an unmanned Falcon 9 rocket built and operated by SpaceX.
How the probes will affect the night sky is causing concern while sitting in low orbit, making them appear brighter than stars and planets.
12
12
When is the Starlink show tonight?
Over Britain, a batch of Starlink satellites will appear in the sky around 8:58 pm BST.
They will emerge as “trains” of bright spots that move a bit like shooting stars without tails.
Star gazers can expect to see 20 of them glide across the sky for about six minutes.
A second presentation will take place at approximately 4:04 am on Wednesday, lasting four minutes.
The satellites are so bright that you won’t need binoculars or a telescope to see them.
It goes without saying that your best chance at seeing them requires clear skies and as little light as possible around you.
Try not to look too much at your phone and turn off the exterior lights to cushion the effects of light pollution.
Please note that Starlink satellites can be up to ten minutes “late”.
12
12
How to track Starlink satellites in real time
Not sure where to look? Your phone has you covered.
There are several stargazing apps that you can use to follow the path of Starlink probes.
In the Apple App Store, we recommend Night Sky, which is free and helps you find all kinds of heavenly wonders.
For Android fans, Satellite Tracker should be the trick (also available on iPhone).
Alternatively, you can visit the Find Starlink website (or the “Find Starlink Satellites” app) and enter your location.
12
12
Why are Starlink satellites appearing in the UK and why are they so brilliant?
According to space experts, the current high rate of sightings is because the satellites are in low orbit after the first launch.
SpaceX launches Starlink satellites in batches of 60 before they gradually rise to a higher orbit and become less visible.
The most recent batch was launched into space in mid-March, with another batch scheduled to take off on April 23.
The satellites have been deliberately designed to be light and compact so that they can be launched in large batches.
12
12
Recent sightings
Star watchers from the UK have been treated to Starlink’s presentations for the past two nights.
The first took place on Sunday night around 9:20 p.m. BST, while another occurred on Monday at 9:55 p.m.
The British turned to social media to express their satisfaction at the rare events, which will continue this week.
“I just saw #Starlink pass over brighton UK. It looks impressive, “said a Twitter user.
Another said, “Wow, what a show! My wife and I went out and saw a dozen satellites and two shooting stars. If I remember just one thing about April 2020, it will surely be this.”
The sighting reports spread across the UK, with users in London, Manchester and Leeds among them going to social media to report that they saw the ship.
Some people compared dazzling satellites to UFOs.
“These Starlink satellites in the UK are terrifying me of those that look like UFOS,” wrote one Twitter user.
Another joked, “I’m watching the #Starlink satellites but they shoot in different directions. It is not direct training. Unless these are UFOs. “
12
Is Starlink “blocking” the night sky?
The Starlink program is controversial among astronomers, who have criticized Musk’s brain schema.
They say that Starlink gets in the way of the observations due to the light reflected by the satellites.
Western Ontario University meteor researcher Denis Vida stated in a blog post last year: “You have to worry about what our skies will look like when we hear that there are plans to launch a total of 42,000 satellites.”
“This could completely refuse to make optical meteor observations as early as 2024.”
Never to take something lying down, Musk has lashed out at his critics, claiming that satellites have no such impact.
Speaking at a conference in Washington DC last month, he said: “I am sure we will not make any impact on astronomical discoveries. Zero. That is my prediction.
“We will take corrective action if it is above zero.”
SpaceX engineers are also said to be looking to make satellites a little less bright so they don’t reflect as much of the sun.
12
Will Starlink ‘trap’ humanity on Earth?
There is concern that humanity may be trapped on Earth by too much space debris in Earth’s orbit.
That’s according to a space scientist, who says that Starlink could create an impenetrable wall of garbage around our planet.
A catastrophic disorder of space debris left by satellites could prevent rockets from leaving Earth, an effect known as “Kessler’s syndrome.”
“The worst case scenario is: you launch all your satellites, you go bankrupt and they all stay there,” European Space Agency scientist Dr. Stijn Lemmens told Scientific American.
“Then you have thousands of new satellites without a plan to get them out of there. And you would have Kessler-like syndrome.”
It will take thousands of years for the SpaceX satellites remaining in our orbit to descend to Earth and burn in the atmosphere.
The firm says it has already taken steps to avoid crowding the region. It is launching the satellites into a lower orbital plane than most space technology to avoid collisions.
NIGHT LIGHTS
Strange satellite streaks to pass the UK TONIGHT – how to look
RAIN FIRE
How To See How Lyrid Meteor Shower Fireballs Burn In The Sky TONIGHT
Hell
NASA reveals stunning photo of ‘Giant CHICKEN running through space’
SKY NETWORK
Satellites lit up the UK skies last night, and some people thought they were UFOs
SKY NETWORK
Elon Musk’s ‘internet satellite train’ seen crossing the sky over Britain
In other news, NASA astronauts will launch into space from American soil next month for the first time in nearly a decade.
A surprising SpaceX video recently revealed how the company will one day fire astronauts to the ISS.
Apparently SpaceX wants the US Army. USA Use the 18,000-mile-per-hour spacecraft to transport troops and supplies across the planet in “minutes.”
What do you think of Musk’s satellite plan? Let us know in the comments!
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
[ad_2]