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Weird lights in the sky just now.

NeoBlackdog
I just put the dogs out and happened to look up and saw a series of what I can only assume were satellites.   I think there were about a dozen of them all flying in a straight line with quite a bit of distance between them.  If they were planes at 40,000 feet I'd estimate a mile between them?  They were headed in a southeasterly direction and they were haulin' the mail!   Got the binocs on a couple of them and could discern no blinking lights, just a strong and steady glow.   They faded from view about 45 degrees above SE horizon leading me to think the light I was seeing was reflected sunlight.  
I've seen a lot of planes and a bunch of satellites but never that many flying the same course and moving that fast.  
WTF is goin' on?
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Comments

21 comments

Date Votes
  • Ditch-Runner
     I do not know sure sounds spooky 
     but when I was about 18 or 19  I would ask you to pass it over to me 
    3
  • NeoBlackdog
    I think I found the answer...
    Ol' Elon launched a bevy of comm sats.  
    https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-2-satellites-night-sky-visibility.html
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  • Ditch-Runner
         that was cool you got to see them and glad you solved your sighting 
     and even more glad it was not incoming  :)
    also more amazing all the items we have orbiting the earth now 
     my dang cell phone better start getting better reception LOL 
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  • mac10
    aliens are coming to take over 
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  • NeoBlackdog
    mac10 said:
    aliens are coming to take over 
    They're already here, Mac!
    0
  • Warbirds

    Who let the dogs out?

    0
  • spasmcreeksrun
    seems an odd track for satellites...
    0
  • NeoBlackdog
    seems an odd track for satellites...
    That's what I thought but did some research on 'em and sure enough, NW to SE.
    The next pass for Starlink 1308 (one of 60 launched) is supposed to start at 6:10 this morning at 301 degrees azimuth and end at 6:21 at 128 degrees azimuth.  
    ETA
    Just looked up the speed on this little fella.  4.76 mi/s!   16,560 mph...   That's scootin'!
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  • spasmcreeksrun
    Kool ...thanx.....had me there as i have seen nighttime tracks of planes from our lake place in eastern kansas...looked going straight north and south so i figured it was planes out of Kansas city tracking n&s  somewhere
    0
  • Rocky Raab
    Starlink satellites are released in a gaggle of 60 at roughly 250 miles altitude, then use tiny onboard thrusters to very slowly separate and raise their orbit to 500 or so miles. Some of them will be in orbits inclined to the equator and some in polar orbit, so as to provide complete coverage to ground antennas. There will be upwards of 2,000 of them to provide global wideband internet.
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  • BobJudy
    It sure is getting crowded up there. I realize that it is a 3 dimensional volume and the satellites are not on the same plane and have different orbits but it must be getting harder for Norad to keep track. Between the active satellites and the space junk it also must be harder to find a safe orbit. Bob
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  • Rocky Raab
    They aren't "comm" satellites in the usual sense. They are internet relay sats. When it's operational. you'll be able to get high-speed internet anywhere on the planet, much like a GPS signal. It won't be free, mind you, but as a subscription service. No word yet on when or how much, but they expect to have a beta version up and running for people in the northern midWest US by the end of the year.
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  • Mr. Perfect
    Probably just alien spacecraft.
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  • montanajoe
    • Community moderator
    Aliens.  They have been among us for a long time.  Nothing new.  Welcome them, they have the knowledge to cure the Rona virus. 
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  • KenK/84Bravo

    Some pretty smart individuals hang out here. That is what inevitably attracts me to this site, in addition to our shared hobby. I glean much (if not most) of my National News from the posts here.

    (Neo, Rocky, etc.)

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  • hillbille
    that was that line of low flying helicopters piloted by aliens that buzzed Mr. Perfect, if he hadn't been hiding in the basement he would have seen the little green faces staring out at him, they were only here a short time and looking for the "perfect" person to take back with them, guess he was just lucky he wasn't in the back yard reading one of serfs posts and looking up for the sky to fall or you may have seen him flashing an SOS with one of Ricci's high output flashlights out one of the windows as they hauled him away to their home planet.................
    3
  • Brookwood
    Ken, I've been told my a.s.s. (donkey) was smart a few times in my life!  :D
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  • KenK/84Bravo

    Sorry Brookwood I did not call you out by Name.

    Apparently your A. $. $. ("Donkey,") is not that Smart. 😉😂

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  • Smitty500mag
    Well, that was rude calling the rest of us...etc.  
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  • NeoBlackdog
    I'm honored, Ken, that you'd lump me in with the likes of Rocky!  I just have decent Google Fu skills!
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  • Rocky Raab
    Folks, I'm only smart enough to confine my replies to things I might know a bit about. If I were to post on more topics you'd see how sub-average I am!
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