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SpaceX’s Starlink satellites may appear aligned in the Brazilian sky after recent launches and create scenes mistaken for UFOs.
Residents of different regions in Brazil have recently recorded a sequence of aligned lights crossing the sky at night and early morning. In many cases, the videos quickly go viral on social media accompanied by questions about possible UFOs or unexplained phenomena. But the phenomenon has a known origin. The lights are part of the so-called “satellite train” of Starlink, a space network created by SpaceX to provide satellite internet on a global scale. Right after each launch, the satellites remain temporarily grouped in a highly visible linear formation before gradually spreading out into their definitive orbits.
According to Space.com, the constellation has already surpassed 10,000 satellites in orbit by 2026, becoming one of the largest artificial structures ever placed around Earth.
The satellites appear as a luminous line crossing the sky
The visual aspect of the phenomenon is precisely what draws the most attention. Instead of a single luminous point, the observer sees dozens of small bright points aligned, crossing the sky in the same direction as if forming a “space convoy.”
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According to Space.com, this effect occurs because the satellites are still close to each other right after being released by the Falcon 9 rocket.
In the following days, each unit slowly begins to ascend to its definitive operational orbit, making the “train” gradually disappear. It is precisely during this initial period that the phenomenon becomes most visually impressive.
The satellites travel at about 27,000 km/h in low orbit
The Starlink satellites orbit at approximately 550 kilometers altitude in low Earth orbit. In this region, the satellites move at speeds close to 27,000 km/h, enough to complete a lap around Earth in approximately 90 minutes.
This explains why the phenomenon usually lasts only a few minutes in the sky before disappearing over the horizon.
It also explains why, in some situations, the satellites may be seen again less than two hours later in another orbital pass.
The phenomenon becomes more visible right after sunset or before dawn
Experts state that the best time to observe the satellites is:
- shortly after sunset;
- or before dawn.
At these times, the ground is already dark, but the satellites still receive sunlight at high altitude, reflecting this light towards Earth. It is precisely this reflection that turns the objects into bright points visible to the naked eye.
According to studies on orbital brightness, the flat panels of the satellites can reflect light extremely intensely depending on the angle between the Sun, satellite, and observer.
Many people confuse the phenomenon with unidentified flying objects
The unusual appearance of the Starlink “trains” has made the phenomenon go viral repeatedly in recent years. Videos posted on social media often show residents believing they are witnessing:
- extraterrestrial ships;
- secret military convoys;
- drones;
- or mysterious phenomena.
Space.com itself highlights that the linear formations of Starlink generated enormous worldwide repercussion precisely because the public was not used to seeing dozens of objects crossing the sky perfectly aligned.
In some cases, pilots also reported puzzlement when observing repetitive reflections caused by large groups of satellites.
SpaceX intends to further expand the constellation
The growth of Starlink is still far from over. SpaceX has already placed more than 10,280 operational satellites in orbit and the regulatory plans discussed throughout the project mention the possibility of expanding to tens of thousands of units in the future.
The company’s goal is to create global high-speed internet coverage, especially in remote areas where traditional terrestrial cables are limited.
The satellites use low orbit communication to reduce latency compared to traditional geostationary satellite internet systems.
Astronomers have begun to express concern about the increase in satellites
Despite the popularity of the phenomenon among sky watchers, the growth of the constellation has generated strong concern among astronomers.
Researchers claim that the brightness of the satellites can interfere with professional astronomical observations, especially in long-exposure images taken by telescopes.
The International Astronomical Union has even created specific initiatives to monitor the impacts of megaconstellations on observational astronomy.
There are also studies analyzing possible environmental impacts linked to the increase in launches and the re-entry of satellites burning up in the atmosphere.
There are sites that show exact times to observe the phenomenon
Today, there are already platforms that allow tracking the visible passages of Starlink in practically any city. Tools like FindStarlink show:
- time of passage;
- direction in the sky;
- brightness intensity;
- and approximate duration of the observation.
This allows residents to anticipate when the “train of satellites” might appear over a certain region.
The night sky is beginning to change because of the megaconstellations
This may be the most impressive aspect of the phenomenon. For practically all of human history, the lights seen in the night sky were natural: stars, planets, meteors, and comets.
Now, huge artificial constellations have begun to visually alter the Earth’s sky.
And the Starlink “trains” have become one of the first visible signs of this new space era, in which thousands of satellites begin to cross the sky every night in front of millions of people around the planet.
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