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St. Louis, that line of lights in the sky is a satellite

The mysterious string of lights in the night sky is sometimes confused with UFOS, but they are actually satellites passing by.

ST. LOUIS — Viewers have reported seeing mysterious activity in the sky at night around St. Louis. 5 On Your Side wants to answer your questions about what you are seeing.

According to Elon Musk's SpaceX website, Falcon 9 launched 22 Starlink Satellites on Oct. 5 at 12:36 a.m. Central Standard Time.

What are Starlink Satellites?

The satellite network, Starlink, delivers internet service to underserved rural areas. These satellites have a distinctive look in the sky and are often confused with UFOS. 

Starlink has been dubbed the "satellite train" or "space train."

The 22 satellites were launched to low-earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida or Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

"Most satellite internet services come from single geostationary satellites that orbit the planet at 35,786 km, " the Starlink site reads. "Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites that orbit the planet much closer to Earth, at about 550km, and cover the entire globe."

When can we see the Starlink satellite?

The Starlink satellites are easiest to identify days after their launch. 

Once the satellite reaches 340 miles, they disperse and may look like stars in the night sky. Sun shades are then deployed, making it nearly impossible to see with the naked eye. 

Credit: Gwen Isenberg, Weather Watchers
Gwen Isenberg, Starlink

This satellite system has been used in Ukraine,  Tonga after a volcanic eruption, Iran, and other places with limited internet access.

Track the Satellite's visibility

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