SpaceX to launch 60 Satellites in one go

[2hats]

Another 24 hour delay to 28 January now, launch time targeted as 1428UTC.

 

[2hats]

Yet another launch delay brings it to a launch at 1406UTC today, 29 January, though SpaceX have issued a hazardous operations NOTAM for tomorrow as well so perhaps they aren't entirely confident it'll leap off the pad today.

 

[2hats]

Left the pad on time to the targeted orbit. First stage returned to an oceanic landing and one half of the fairing was caught (the other half soft landed in the Atlantic and is being fished out). The Starlink satellites have been deployed.

 

[weltweit]

Has it been resolved what the impact will be on astrologers and other star gazers?

 

[2hats]

Has it been resolved what the impact will be on astrologers and other star gazers?

Yes. Zero change in the validity of astrological predictions.

 

[weltweit]

Yes. Zero change in the validity of astrological predictions.

You know what I meant !! The telescope brigade!

 

[2hats]

Astronomers are still trying to work with SpaceX to reduce visual and radio visibility.

Plenty of examples of interference up thread. Here interference in radio meteor observations:

 

[weltweit]

Mega-constellation firms meet European astronomers

Scientists put their concerns about giant satellite networks directly to the companies involved.

www.bbc.co.uk

Leading satellite mega-constellation companies SpaceX and OneWeb have met with astronomers in Europe to discuss the impact their operations could have on observations of the Universe.

There's concern that the size and brightness of the firms' planned fleets could interfere with the work of professional telescopes.

The parties discussed the issues in a private meeting at the Royal Astronomical Society in London, UK.

Hope there is a way for the two parties to co-exist.

 

[2hats]

And tomorrow, from Baikonur at 2142UTC on a Soyuz, the first operational tranche (34 out of an eventual 650) of OneWeb low latency communications satellites head to a polar orbit.

 

[danski]

Think I saw some today.
Was just before 6am.
Saw five or six in a line, same speed, equidistant. In Kent.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Think I saw some today.
Was just before 6am.
Saw five or six in a line, same speed, equidistant. In Kent.

In Kent? probably a bunch of cyclists, I think the satellites are in the sky.

 

[2hats]

The next clutch are targeting 1546 UTC this Saturday 15 Feb.. No initial good visibility for the UK - there is one marginal pass on the second orbit at 1740UTC low in the SW but since the weather is going to be atrocious...

Think I saw some today.
Was just before 6am.
Saw five or six in a line, same speed, equidistant. In Kent.

Most likely it was them. There was a pass at 0558UTC - the most recent set have pre-dawn passes for our (UK) latitudes right now.


e2a: This time the deploy is going to be much earlier - 15 minutes post launch over the Atlantic rather than about 45 minutes near Australia.

2e2a: ~24hr delay for this Starlink launch due to weather now being flagged up.

 

[2hats]

The IAU have published some commentary on the subject of satellite megaconstellations interfering with astronomical observations, including some details of ongoing discussions with SpaceX.

 

[2hats]

Next Starlink launch pushed to Monday 17 Feb 15:05:55 UTC. No decent visibility for the UK on launch or subsequent days.

 

[Crispy]

T-15m

 

[2hats]

Splashdown!

 

[2hats]

One of the satellites has an experimental low visibility coating on.

Unfortunately that experimental coating doesn't appear to be working - here that one satellite (dubbed 'darksat') is as bright as the others in its clutch, all around magnitude +2.5:

 

[StoneRoad]

Shall we say that needs more work !
They really should have thought ahead ...

 

[2hats]

Image taken from the ISS last week (13 April) over the Southern Indian Ocean (complete with Aurora Australis display), that caught a Starlink satellite train (from the 17 February 2020 Starlink 4 launch):

 

[ska invita]

Lovely clear night out here in Lewisham...and about 30 minutes ago a stream of satellites started passing overhead in a straight line....i counted about 100 or so?, and they're still going now
perfectly bright like stars, moving fast
its a bit scary tbh
2hats can you tell me who they belong to? do you have access to what is flying over where at anytime?

it may be that from your post above

 

[spitfire]

Lovely clear night out here in Lewisham...and about 30 minutes ago a stream of satellites started passing overhead in a straight line....i counted about 100 or so?, and they're still going now
perfectly bright like stars, moving fast
its a bit scary tbh
2hats can you tell me who they belong to? do you have access to what is flying over where at anytime?

it may be that from your post above

🛰️ See A Satellite Tonight 🛰️

🛰️ Find out how to see satellites in the night sky, no telescope required.

james.darpinian.com

This site shows you what you see and what is coming up, I've only used it a couple of times but seems to work. Sure 2hats will set me straight if it's not up to scracth.

 

[spitfire]

Just had a look outside as was scheduled a 22.05 flypast of 3 satellites and there they were! So it seems to work. Very cool.

Thinking about it it may have been 2hats who linked to that site originally. I can't remember.

 

[2hats]

Lovely clear night out here in Lewisham...and about 30 minutes ago a stream of satellites started passing overhead in a straight line....i counted about 100 or so?, and they're still going now
perfectly bright like stars, moving fast
its a bit scary tbh
2hats can you tell me who they belong to? do you have access to what is flying over where at anytime?

Does this sort of path look about right? Generally all flowing SW to ENE through the SSE? Several passing per minute.

If so then they are all part of the most recent Starlink 5 launch (March 2020).

You can track them via Heavens Above.

Next clutch are due to go up shortly - this Thursday 23 April at 2016BST.

 

[Chilli.s]

Just seen these, watched as 20 or so went past one after the other in a line.

 

[Chilli.s]

Generally all flowing SW to ENE

Yes that's about right.

 

[2hats]

Yes that's about right.

It has to be the Starlink 5 clutch as lighting geometry and orbital precession preclude any of the others over the SE UK this evening.

 

[ska invita]

seemed a bit further apart what i saw

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

seemed a bit further apart what i saw

Yeah me too. Had no idea what I was looking at, had to Google.

 

[Chilli.s]

Yeah me too. Had no idea what I was looking at, had to Google.

Same here.

 

[editor]

What day/time are they zipping across London skies?

Oh hang on - I've found it

9:58 pm, 20 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, BRIGHT (2.6) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 11°, max: 81°, end: 27°
3:30 am, 21 Apr 2020
Starlink-3 OLD, BRIGHT (3.0) for 2 mins
Look from SOUTHEAST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 51°, max: 51°, end: 10°
5:03 am, 21 Apr 2020
Starlink-3 OLD, BRIGHT (2.8) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 66°, end: 10°
8:58 pm, 21 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, BRIGHT (2.4) for 6 mins
Look from SOUTHWEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 71°, end: 10°
10:34 pm, 21 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, BRIGHT (3.1) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to NORTHEAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 11°, max: 63°, end: 58°
4:04 am, 22 Apr 2020
Starlink-3 OLD, BRIGHT (2.4) for 4 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 33°, max: 80°, end: 10°
9:34 pm, 22 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, BRIGHT (2.9) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 70°, end: 13°
3:06 am, 23 Apr 2020
Starlink-3 OLD, BRIGHT (3.7) for 2 mins
Look from EAST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 47°, max: 47°, end: 10°
4:39 am, 23 Apr 2020
Starlink-3 OLD, BRIGHT (3.0) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 63°, end: 10°
10:10 pm, 23 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, BRIGHT (3.0) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 64°, end: 32°
3:41 am, 24 Apr 2020
Starlink-3 OLD, BRIGHT (2.7) for 4 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 38°, max: 70°, end: 10°
Timings with poor visibility
10:58 pm, 19 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, DIM (4.8) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to WEST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 34°, end: 34°
11:34 pm, 20 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, DIM (6.0) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to WEST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 17°, end: 17°
5:25 am, 21 Apr 2020
Starlink-2 OLD, DIM (6.7) for 4 mins
Look from SOUTH to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 17°, end: 10°
11:10 pm, 22 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, DIM (4.7) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to NORTHWEST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 37°, end: 37°
5:00 am, 23 Apr 2020
Starlink-2 OLD, DIM (4.8) for 5 mins
Look from SOUTH to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 23°, end: 10°
8:34 pm, 23 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, DIM (3.8) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 89°, end: 10°
11:46 pm, 23 Apr 2020
Starlink-5,6 OLD, DIM (6.0) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to WEST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 15°, end: 15°
4:01 am, 24 Apr 2020
Starlink-2 OLD, DIM (5.5) for 2 mins
Look from SOUTH to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 11°, max: 13°, end: 10°
5:15 am, 24 Apr 2020
Starlink-3 OLD, DIM (4.0) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)

SpaceX Starlink Satellites Tracker

Calculate when you can see the SpaceX Starlink satellites above your location

findstarlink.com