Spectacle in the sky

Strange “string of lights” spotted over Austria

(Bild: Leserreporter)

Mysterious lights above the night sky caused some "Krone" readers to stare in amazement on Sunday. The spectacle could be seen at around 6.30 p.m. krone.at reveals what the images are all about.

Several "Krone" readers were able to observe the objects on Sunday evening. While the "strange light" caused excitement for some, some observers were already familiar with it. This was not the first time the phenomenon had passed over the Austrian night sky.

Missile in orbit since 2020
These are satellites from the "Starlink" network, which is operated by Elon Musk's US space company SpaceX and has been providing internet access since 2020. The website "Find Starlink" also confirms the visibility of the satellites over large parts of Austria on Sunday evening.

After the launch, the "Starlink" satellites are arranged in tight columns, forming impressive chains of lights.

(Bild: Leserreporter)

Chain of lights visible after launch
At the beginning of this year, almost 6,000 of these satellites were in orbit with the aim of creating a constellation of 12,000 or even up to 42,000 satellites. The chains of lights visible in the video always appear in the sky shortly after the launch of new Starlink satellites. This is because they are then arranged in tight columns. This formation is particularly visible in the first few days after the launch, before the celestial bodies disperse into their final orbits.

Observation tips

• Start your observation about five minutes before the specified time (see below) so as not to miss any satellites.
• Visibility depends on weather conditions and the exact position of the observer.
• The satellites will appear as a series of moving points of light in the night sky.

Further overflights of "Starlink" satellite chains are also predicted until Wednesday. The chain of 22 satellites can be observed for a brief moment between 18:36 and 18:38 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The overflight lasts about two minutes.

Concerns about light pollution
While these satellite chains provide a fascinating spectacle for skywatchers, there are also concerns about their impact on astronomy and light pollution of the night sky. SpaceX is working to reduce the reflectivity of its Starlink satellites to minimize these effects.