Starlink satellites aren’t simply photobombing astronomy photographs — they may be sneaking into Google Maps too.
A Reddit consumer viewing an space of Texas utilizing the satellite tv for pc picture layer on Google Maps spotted a doable Starlink craft zipping previous. In accordance with Google Earth, the image was taken on November 30 by an Airbus satellite tv for pc above northern Texas and occurred to catch the suspected Starlink craft orbiting beneath at 17,000 miles per hour.
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The satellite tv for pc may belong to SpaceX’s Starlink community given the craft’s look and the presence of two photo voltaic panel arrays. In August 2024, satellite tv for pc imagery supplier BlackSky additionally captured a Starlink V2 mini satellite tv for pc orbiting over the Pacific Ocean close to Alaska.
The Starlink V2 mini has adopted a twin photo voltaic array when older Starlink satellites had one array. (Credit score: BlackSky)
That stated, it hasn’t been confirmed that the satellite tv for pc belongs to Starlink. SpaceX did not instantly reply to a request for remark. Nevertheless, astronomer and satellite tv for pc monitoring skilled Jonathan McDowell says it is believable the satellite tv for pc can also be a Chinese language craft, Ziyuan-3-2; one Reddit consumer found proof that it was crossing the identical space on November 30.
Within the meantime, the Google Maps picture additionally stands out as a result of it reveals the satellite tv for pc racing throughout the planet whereas seemingly leaving a inexperienced, blue, and purple afterimage. McDowell says it’s because the Airbus Pleiades satellite tv for pc probably snapped the photograph utilizing different spectral bands.
The circled space reveals what may be a near-infrared picture of the satellite tv for pc. (Credit score: Google Maps)
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The Airbus satellite tv for pc’s sensors most likely first captured the satellite tv for pc within the purple, blue, and inexperienced wavelengths, along with gray-scale “panchromatic” and a fair fainter near-infrared band, earlier than combining them.
The picture naturally makes us surprise if Starlink satellites have been popping up in additional satellite tv for pc photographs. However for now, Google, Airbus, and Maxar Intelligence, which additionally helped provide the picture, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
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At present, over 7,200 Starlink satellites are in orbit, up from 1,000 in early 2021. The rising constellation has enabled SpaceX to ship high-speed web to over 5 million subscribers throughout the globe.
SpaceX has additionally reduced the amount of sunlight its satellites can replicate to stop them from interfering with astronomy analysis. Nonetheless, some astronomers stay concerned that the rising Starlink constellation poses an issue for his or her observations and the atmosphere, saying that extra analysis is required to examine Starlink’s potential toll on the ozone layer.
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About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
