Colorado Residents Capture Strange Line of Lights in the Sky — but the Cause Was Surprisingly Simple
A dotted line of lights was spotted in different parts of Colorado. FOX31 viewers sent in pictures of the unusual streak of white lights. One viewer reported that the anomaly was spotted in the Western sky and moved towards the Northeast before disappearing. Another person captured the lights in South Parker while they were moving west to east around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18. The weird display of lights left everyone guessing. Is it a spaceship invading Earth or an undiscovered phenomenon? Turns out that the reason behind the line of lights is far from dramatic.
These lights are part of Elon Musk’s satellite system, Starlink by SpaceX. The project uses thousands of small satellites orbiting the Earth to send internet signals directly to special terminals that people install in their offices and homes. Starlink was first launched in 2019, and the network has grown since. According to Find Starlink, a program that helps track the satellites, the satellites were in Colorado when the viewers witnessed them. James Darpinian, a graphics and computer vision engineer with Google, created a website and confirmed that the satellites were present in that area. So the dotted lines were nothing but satellites aligned in a row. Although most people don't know about it, Starlink sightings are common.
This wasn't the first time Starlink satellites were spotted in Colorado. Last year, Starlink was spotted in the sky in Boulder, Elizabeth, and several other metro areas. In October 2023, the line of lights appeared in the sky for three consecutive days. Find Starlink predicts that the Starlink will reappear on Wednesday in Denver. The satellites will most likely be in that area for a prolonged period, but they won't be visible. Elon Musk's Starlink innovation is groundbreaking and has the potential to change the internet reach and connectivity across the globe. Emirates Airlines is reportedly planning to use SpaceX’s Starlink to upgrade the onboard Wi-Fi, as per Bloomberg. The world's most profitable Dubai-based airline has about 250 jets and more than 300 on order.
Although the United Arab Emirates has yet to authorize the use of Starlink, this deal with Musk's Starlink could prove beneficial for the company. However, the government would have to change or reverse the policy for the airline to use the satellite service. The internet service also isn’t certified for Emirates’ marquee jet: the double-decker A380, as per the publication. Even if the reported deal is finalised, the airline wouldn't be the first to use Starlink. Qatar Airways was the first to offer Starlink last year. The services are being made available in its Boeing 777 models. SpaceX has offered internet services to Gulf Air and Flydubai, among other airways. It ended up closing a deal with Saudi Arabia’s flagship airline Saudia, as per the outlet. When President Donald Trump flew to Saudi Arabia, Musk revealed that the country would authorize Starlink for aviation and maritime use.
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