Satellite train dazzles the sky of southern Gran Canaria

The night skies of southern Gran Canaria have witnessed an impressive phenomenon: the passage of the “satellite train”. This term refers to a group of satellites orbiting the Earth, following similar trajectories and maintaining constant distances from each other. This sight has captured the attention of both amateurs and astronomy experts, especially with the constellations launched by Starlink, an initiative led by SpaceX to provide global internet coverage through thousands of small satellites.

SpaceX, under the visionary leadership of Elon Musk, has been developing the Starlink project since 2015. The mission is ambitious: to offer high-speed Internet services even in the most remote regions of the world. To achieve this, thousands of satellites have been placed in low Earth orbit. These are launched in groups and during the first days after their launch can be observed from Earth as a chain of light crossing the night sky.

The advent of the satellite train is generating both excitement and concern. On the one hand, it represents a significant opportunity to improve global communications; on the other, it poses challenges related to light pollution and the potential risk to other orbital objects due to increased space traffic.