Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2019 December 10 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Starlink Satellite Trails over Brazil Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Egon Filter Explanation: What are those streaks over the horizon? New [4]Starlink satellites reflecting sunlight. [5]SpaceX launched 60 Starlink communication satellites in May and [6]60 more in November. These satellites and [7]thousands more are planned by communications companies in the next few years that may make [8]streaks like these relatively common. [9]Concern has been voiced by many in the astronomical community about how reflections from these [10]satellites may affect future observations into space. In the pictured composite of 33 exposures, parallel streaks from Starlink satellites are visible over southern [11]Brazil. [12]Sunflowers dot the foreground, while a [13]bright meteor was caught by chance on the upper right. [14]Satellite reflections are [15]not new -- the constellation of 66 first-generation [16]Iridium satellites launched starting 20 years ago produced [17]some [18]flares so bright that they could [19]be seen during the day. Most of these old Iridium satellites, however, [20]have been [21]de-orbited over the past few years. Infinite Loop: [22]Create an APOD Station in your classroom or Science Center. Tomorrow's picture: supernova firefox __________________________________________________________________ [23]< | [24]Archive | [25]Submissions | [26]Index | [27]Search | [28]Calendar | [29]RSS | [30]Education | [31]About APOD | [32]Discuss | [33]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell ([37]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [38]Specific rights apply. [39]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC & [43]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1912/StarlinkTrails_Filter_2048.jpg 3. mailto: egonf @at@ terra .dot. com .dot. br 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink_(satellite_constellation) 5. https://www.spacex.com/about 6. https://www.spacex.com/news/2019/11/11/starlink-mission 7. https://spacenews.com/spacex-submits-paperwork-for-30000-more-starlink-satellites/ 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191014.html 9. https://aas.org/press/aas-issues-position-statement-satellite-constellations 10. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/11/science/spacex-starlink-satellites.html 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helianthus 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap181219.html 14. https://www.heavens-above.com/ 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap980402.html 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellation 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000502.html 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150902.html 19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTGVuPr9Epg 20. https://www.universetoday.com/141741/the-iridium-flare-era-is-about-to-end/ 21. https://www.iridium.com/flarewell/ 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/fap/VideoLoopTest.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191209.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 32. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=191210 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191211.html 34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 41. https://www.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 43. http://www.mtu.edu/