No constellation resembles the image where the Starlink satellite line crosses Earth’s sky. And now there’s an easy way to know when you can see it.
The equipment operated by SpaceX is intended to one day provide a worldwide high-speed satellite-powered Internet connection. Already semi-functional and open to live testing (at a fairly high cost), but a possible orbital network, already approved by the FCC, would consist of a total of 12,000 satellites.
This raises the question of what will the sky be like? for both amateur and professional skiers. There are also orbital disaster risk associated with “space debris”. For now, however, SpaceX is sending them into space in batches of 60, and their streaks circle the planet in formations that are (in the right circumstances) clearly visible from the ground.
Now, thanks to skywatching and SpaceX fans, there’s a simple and easy-to-use website that follows the course of each Starlink cluster (h/t Insider). Find Starlink allows you to visualize this in a number of ways. There is a live map that plots the path of each cluster as it moves around the Earth, so you can see roughly when one of the clusters will be in your part of the world.
You can also select major cities around the world from the list or enter your latitude/longitude coordinates for a more precise date and time overview. The website will respond with a list of the days and times the Starlinks are visible, along with the direction in which they are moving and the altitude from the horizon (in degrees) at which they will be visible.
The site warns that “these times are not 100% accurate, because the orbits of the satellites change frequently, and without warning.” The disclaimer also adds that when you’re looking in the right direction at the right time, other factors (such as the amount of sunlight reaching the satellite) also play a role in your ability to see things.
The Find Starlink help page also notes that the tracking here doesn’t cover all of the Starlink satellites launched so far. As the creators of site cmdr2 note: “These 60 satellites initially fly in ‘chains’, but over time they spread out and move into their own orbits. Older chains like Starlink-1, 2, 3, etc. It has become widespread and is no longer visible as a channel, which is why this app no longer includes it. “
This is another reason why sky watchers should pay attention to this tracking device. Starlink’s ongoing deployment won’t last forever, the service is expected to be operational by the end of 2021 or 2022. So if you’d like to see the unusual phenomenon of 60 satellites making their own orbital conga path, this is now yours. chance.
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