SpaceX launched the first 60 Starlink satellites last Thursday, and there are lots more to come with a total of 12,000 being planned for lift-off. Starlink is SpaceX’s satellite broadband project that will eventually see a total of 12,000 satellites orbiting the Earth to deliver internet to every corner of the globe. However, astronomers are warning the satellites, which will be positioned in orbit around the equator, could obstruct their view of the universe.
Bill Keel, an astronomer at the University of Alabama, said: “People were making extrapolations that if many of the satellites in these new mega-constellations had that kind of steady brightness, then in 20 years or less, for a good part the night anywhere in the world, the human eye would see more satellites than stars.”
When the satellites were lifted, people reported seeing a train of lights shuffling across the night sky, and some say that is something we will need to get used to.
Cees Bassa, an astronomer at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, told the Guardian: “I saw that train and it was certainly very spectacular.
“With that comes the realisation that if several thousands of these are launched it will change what the night sky looks like.”
Ronald Drimmel from the Turin Astrophysical Observatory in Italy, told Forbes: “The potential tragedy of a mega-constellation like Starlink is that for the rest of humanity it changes how the night sky looks.
“Starlink, and other mega constellations, would ruin the sky for everyone on the planet.”
However, Elon Musk says SpaceX is aware of the situation and the anger being portrayed by astronomers, but his company is looking at ways to reduce the light pollution.
Mr Musk wrote on Twitter: “Sent a note to Starlink team last week specifically regarding albedo reduction.
“We’ll get a better sense of the value of this when satellites have raised orbits and arrays are tracking to sun.”
