One of the more amazing things that have appeared in the sky over everyone’s heads during the past few months is the appearance of StarLink.
You may have heard about the lines of lights in the sky just after dark and just before sunrise traversing the skies all over the world. And this is exactly what they are meant to do.
StarLink, created by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, is a network of satellites that are going to deliver high-speed internet to every single place on the planet, no matter where you are.
To do this, it is going to take thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of satellites all working in conjunction to do this.
The neat thing about that is that you will be able to see these satellites with your naked eye…..at least for a while.
Keep reading to find out when StarLink is going to be over your apartment in your city, and what you need to do to be able to see them.
How To See StarLink From My Apartment
StarLink has gotten approval for tens of thousands of satellites to be put up in orbit by SpaceX. That is what it is going to take to provide internet to anyone who wants it on the face of the Earth. For sky watchers, this means that you will have the opportunity to see these amazing chains of satellites pass overhead from time to time.
The best site that we have found to view StarLink is https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/. (You may want to just make a hyperlink on the word StarLink or HERE sort of thing instead of having the entire address listed. Either way is fine.)
Allow the website to know your location and it will pinpoint not only where you are, but also the next time that StarLink, the ISS, and other satellites will be above your head.
This site also works really well on smartphones as well, so if you are traveling somewhere to see friends or family and want to show them the satellite constellations, you can do that too!
All StarLink constellations are marked on the site, which goes about 5 days out for everything that you can see above your position on the planet.
The best time to see these satellites are a couple of hours right after sunset and the couple hours right before sunrise. This is because the sun is at the right angle to be out of the way of the viewer, making the sky dark, but not low enough to block the satellites from being lit overhead.
Eventually, the Krypton-fueled ion engines of each satellite will propel them to a higher orbit which will cut down visibility some, but they still should be visible to the naked eye.
Further StarLink satellites are going to be coated with a black paint that is going to reduce visibility from Earth as well as be equipped with a solar shield which will prevent the reflection from being as big as it is right now.
However, in the meantime, people all over the globe are getting to witness quite a step forward in our journey to space watching the satellites go overhead each and every night.
And the more that SpaceX launches, the more chains that will be visible on the ground at night and in the morning.
Which Side Of My Apartment Do I Need To Be On To See StarLink?
The cool thing about StarLink is that the satellites run in many different directions at all times during the day. So, whether or not you have a North-facing or South-facing apartment you will be able to see the constellation as it moves across the sky.
Obviously, for the best viewing, you are going to want to go to the side of your apartment that has the least amount of light, and that isn’t blocked by trees and other buildings.
But virtually every part of the sky is going to have the satellites going through them at one point or another. All you have to do is be willing to stay up an hour or so past sunset or an hour or so before sunrise.
Seeing StarLink from your apartment is one of the coolest things you can see in the night sky. A string of satellites trekking across the sky for anyone to see, and with the technology we have at our fingertips today it makes it incredibly easy to know when to look and where in the sky you can see them.
Go to https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/ to see when the next time a string of StarLink satellites are going to be over your apartment!
