Starlink SpaceX satellites spotted over Massachusetts
BOSTON - Bright lights spotted over the sky in Massachusetts attracted lots of attention Monday and Tuesday night.
The string of lights that many people saw weren't UFOs - they were Starlink satellites launched by Elon Musk's company SpaceX.
"It's really, really cool if you haven't seen them before, but it also can be a bit alarming given what we've seen over the last 10 days," WBZ-TV meteorologist Jacob Wycoff explained, referencing the Chinese spy balloon and other objects shot down by the U.S. military recently.
Dick Koolish has been an amateur astronomer since the 1970s and he was amazed watching Starlink Tuesday night. "I've never seen anything like it, because I haven't watched them before," Koolish said. "That was really spectacular, I was really pleased to see that."
Experts like MIT professor and astronomer Richard Binzel say there's pros and cons to the satellites: More internet connectivity, but also more stuff in space creating obstruction.
"Whether they kind of get in the way of serious astronomical observations, whether they overcrowd the space, and you have risk of collision of satellites with one another, those are some of the cons and some of the factors that lead to these objects being controversial," Binzel said.
If you missed the lights on Monday and Tuesday, there are two more chances to see them streaking across the region.
The constellation of 55 satellites are expected to be visible over Boston on Wednesday at 6:46 p.m. and Thursday at 7:02 p.m.