The impressive deorbit of SpaceX's Starlink communications satellites was captured on video from the ground. The footage was taken by a camera owned by the Caribbean Society of Astronomers in Puerto Rico on February 7 at 9:40 Moscow time. (2.40 local time).
According to astronomers, the falling objects are part of the 49 satellites launched by Elon Musk on February 3. It was previously reported that 40 of the 49 recently launched Starlink satellite constellation vehicles owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX will fall and burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. Some of them have already fallen. Blame the geomagnetic storm that erupted shortly after the launch of the Falcon 9.
The three-minute video captures two parts of the same satellite, or two different vehicles, moving in the same plane, separated by one minute, into the atmosphere, explained Dutch astronomer Marco Langbroek.
In any case, he says that the fallen debris definitely belonged to the Starlink satellites: the satellites' time of flight over Puerto Rico coincided with the observation of the debris.
“Forty satellites falling in a week is a unique case. This week, the chances of seeing the descent of the satellite are greater than ever for any person between 53 north and south latitudes, ”the astronomer added.
bbabo.Net