Anyone seen the Starlink satellite constellation?

[randynewmanscat]

I wanted to spot these when they still looked line a line of tracer fire 10 days ago but the skies remained cloudy. Now they are starting to open out into a longer line taking 5 minutes to pass.
Another 60 are scheduled to launch this coming week, Monday or Tuesday.

 

[randynewmanscat]

Here is what the astronomers are complaining about.

Cerro Tololo Chile

 

[gbb]

Reminds me of a conversation I had with a colleague many years ago. We were walking across the yard, in the dark and I looked up to see a satellite, particually bright compared to everything else.
'That satellite's bright'
'What ?'
'That satellite is bright up there'
'WTF are you talking about you can't see a satellite '

We argued (in a friendly fashion)for several minutes and to this day, I suspect he still thinks that way.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Elon mUsk...a man who dumped a car in space & now is ruining astronomy. Don't buy anything of his......

 

[randynewmanscat]

Another 60 scheduled to be launched on Monday 27th. The orbit data will become available after deployment and catalogue. "Heavens Above" has a sighting predictor and a 3D globe in real time using Celestrak's data. If the new hardware makes a pass over Britain during the coming week it will provide a spectacle with clear skies.
The 3D globe is as accurate as it should be. I went outside just as the constellation reached my part of the world on the globe map and as though by magic they appeared.
3D globe with orbit in real time:https://heavens-above.com/starlink.aspx
I set the location to Birmingham (just random choice) and used the Starlink prediction link: https://www.heavens-above.com/AllPa....4862&lng=-1.8904&loc=Birmingham&alt=0&tz=GMT

 

[randynewmanscat]

Postponed until Tuesday, high winds middle and upper atmosphere.

 

[randynewmanscat]

Postponed again until Wednesday due to continued poor weather.

 

[randynewmanscat]

Launched and payload deployed. 0 to 27,000 KM/H in 9 minutes.

 

[randynewmanscat]

I watched the 60 launched last night, Wednesday pass over and 94 minutes later pass again. It is an eerie sight for sure, you can barely detect the gaps between them at the viewing range. If you live as far south east as London you may see them on Friday night if no cloud.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Been out twice to see them but nothing happening

 

[sheddy]

While we're here: what are they for and why do we need 'em ?

 

[lazybloke]

My son and I went out on Monday night circa 10pm. Lay on the trampoline under perfect clear skies, but saw only 4 v faint satellites. A bit disappointing.

Next day, my daughter was annoyed to hear she'd missed them, but the website predicted a "bright" pass at pm. Out we went - oops didn't realise it wouldn't be fully dark! I set expectations accordingly but was dragged out to the trampoline anyway... just in time to see a line of at least 20 go almost directly overhead!

Didn't think to look for the 7th cluster tonight. Damn, looks like I missed an opportunity earlier.

 

[MontyVeda]

I keep missing them too.

Reminds me of a conversation I had with a colleague many years ago. We were walking across the yard, in the dark and I looked up to see a satellite, particually bright compared to everything else.
'That satellite's bright'
'What ?'
'That satellite is bright up there'
'WTF are you talking about you can't see a satellite '

We argued (in a friendly fashion)for several minutes and to this day, I suspect he still thinks that way.

That reminds me of a conversation i had with a friend many years ago which went along the lines of...

them: What's that really bright star?

me: Erm... (gets stellar bearings sussed) ...it'll be Jupiter.

them: is it feck! Jupiter's a planet.

me: Yes, and I'm pretty sure that's it.

them: You can't see the planets you bloody idiot! ...they're millions of miles away, you fecking fecktard!

me: [thinks] what, and where, the feck do you think the stars are

 

[randynewmanscat]

While we're here: what are they for and why do we need 'em ?

Need, maybe not, want, definitely yes for me. Elon Musks monster project to supply global connectivity at reliably fast speeds. There won't be any fibre coming past my house for a long time. I live in very remote countryside and my place is many kilometres from the nearest exchange. In suburban Britain in 2002 I had 2Mb/s internet, in 2020 in the countryside I have 2Mb/s internet, thats on a good day without neighbours affecting the contention ratio.
If Musk sets a good price point I will ditch my €36 per month orange service, no phone though which is a problem as there is no cellular reception for many kilometres from my house.
The question what are they for can be answered in an abstract way, they are to finance Mr Musks intention to send people to Mars.

 

[Proto]

I keep missing them too.


That reminds me of a conversation i had with a friend many years ago which went along the lines of...

them: What's that really bright star?

me: Erm... (gets stellar bearings sussed) ...it'll be Jupiter.

them: is it feck! Jupiter's a planet.

me: Yes, and I'm pretty sure that's it.

them: You can't see the planets you bloody idiot! ...they're millions of miles away, you fecking fecktard!

me: [thinks] what, and where, the feck do you think the stars are

haha, made me think of this:

View: https://youtu.be/OXypyrutq_M