KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A straight line of glimmering lights that gently soared across the sky in East Tennessee caught the eyes of people in Knoxville, Sweetwater, Loudon and beyond. It baffled people across the region on Friday.
Around the same time though, 7:06 p.m., satellites from Elon Musk's SpaceX company soared over the region. They are called Starlink satellites and the company says they are meant to provide internet access to people across the world.
The system works by using satellites in low-orbit across the world. They connect with devices on homes and buildings, allowing people to connect by transmitting data from the uplink to the satellite system. The system is meant to be used in rural and remote communities, according to the company.
The satellites are sometimes visible in the first few minutes after sundown and before sunrise when the sun is just below the horizon. Since they are in low orbit, they can reflect sunlight from beyond the horizon, giving the satellites a shimmering color that disappears after a short time.
According to reports, they are a constellation of more than 1,500 satellites that orbit the Earth around 340 miles up. At that height, they seem large enough to be mysterious but still travel at a decent pace across the sky.
People can track the Starlink satellites online, using the 'Find Starlink' tool. According to the tool, they may also be visible Saturday evening.
