--- title: "Astronomers: SpaceX’s Satellites Are Blocking View of Stars" description: "Astronomers are finding that the 122 satellites SpaceX has launched so far are already ruining the night sky, showing up as bright trails in observations." date: "2019-11-19" modified: "2019-11-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/astronomers-spacex-satellites-blocking-view" categories: - "Science & Energy" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "Astronomy" - "SpaceX" - "starlink" - "the digest" --- # Astronomers: SpaceX’s Satellites Are Blocking View of Stars ![Astronomers are finding that the 122 satellites SpaceX has launched so far are already ruining the night sky, showing up as bright trails in observations.]() *\Image: Reidar Hahn/Fermilab\* ## In Shock Elon Musk's spacetech company SpaceX is trying to bring broadband to the globe by sending up to 12,000 tiny satellites into low-Earth orbit. But not everybody is thrilled. Astronomers are finding that the 122 satellites SpaceX has launched so far are already ruining the night sky, showing up as extremely bright trails of light in observations. "Wow!! I am in shock!!," [tweeted]() Clarae Martínez-Vázquez, an astronomer at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in northern Chile. "The huge amount of Starlink satellites crossed our skies tonight at @cerrotololo. Our \[Dark Energy Camera\] exposure was heavily affected by 19 of them!" ## Crowded Skies The space company [sent]() 60 new Starlink micro-satellites into low-Earth orbit on November 11, and many more launches are planned. Last year, the Federal Communications Commission [approved SpaceX’s request]() to launch an additional 7,518 satellites, bringing up the total of approved units up to almost 12,000. That means that if SpaceX sticks to its plan, the issue is only going to get worse. "The train of Starlink satellites lasted for over 5 minutes!! Rather depressing… This is not cool!" [added]() Martínez-Vázquez. ## Radio Interference The International Astronomical Union highlighted the issue in a [June statement](), arguing that the reflective Starlink satellites could "be detrimental to the sensitive capabilities of large ground-based astronomical telescopes" and that "aggregate radio signals emitted from the satellite constellations can still threaten astronomical observations at radio wavelengths." Some astronomers are even turning the problem into a meme. https://twitter.com/SuperASASSN/status/1196553027915829248 **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk's WiFi Satellites Are Blocking Astronomers' Views Of The Sky]() \[*BuzzFeed News*\] **More on Starlink:** *[SpaceX Satellites Threaten “Astronomy Itself”]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()