What are they and when can they be seen in the sky near you?

(NEXSTAR) – For at least the past week, a string of lights has been streaking across the skies of several states, including Utah, Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut, Ohio and Wisconsin. Although it is an interesting place, in reality they are not aliens.

Instead, these strings of lights moving across the night sky are Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX.

Starlink satellites, first launched in 2019, are used to deliver broadband internet to customers around the world. Since then, SpaceX has put more than 3,000 Starlink satellites into orbit. The company plans to launch even more: Late last year, the Federal Communications Commission approved SpaceX’s request to deploy 7,500 Starlink satellites in low-Earth orbit, Space.com reports.

It is the launch that is most responsible for creating the train of lights that so many have seen flying across the sky lately. After the satellites are placed in orbit, they continue to move in a line. While staying at just the right altitude with the right orientation, the sun shines on the satellites, making them visible from the ground.

However, the satellites will not remain visible for long. You can see a Starlink chain twinkle across the sky multiple times in one night because they’re moving so fast, but the satellites will eventually find their own orbits (unless they’re hit by a geomagnetic storm that can destroy up to 40 satellites caused). fall from orbit shortly after launch last year).

While the satellites remain visible, there are a handful of online sites that can help you find some in your area.

Find Starlink, available online and as an app, allows you to track nearby satellite chains in three different ways: by city, by your coordinates, or via the Live Map tab. Using either of the first two options will allow you to view a results page with information about when you may see another Starlink parade overhead. According to the developer, Find Starlink only tracks the first satellite in each chain, otherwise “the results page gets very cluttered”.

satellitemap.space, also available online and through the App Store, relies on tracking data available through space-track.org to show Starlink locations. This website uses a Google Earth-like globe to show where Starlink satellites and chains are in orbit. You can click on each satellite to see its last path, launch time, altitude and more. When you add a home location on the map, the website calculates if and when a particular satellite will fly over you.

There is also this website created by James Darpinian, a graphics and computer vision engineer at Google. On the Darpinian website you can allow the browser to access your location. This will place a pin on a map near the left side of your screen. On the right you see a video showing the sky at your location.

Within the video (which appears to be the Google Maps street view option but is facing up) you can view the currently visible constellations and the path of the nearest Starlink satellites. You can also toggle between different viewing times and schedule a reminder for yourself to go outside and look for the Starlink satellites.

None of these sites claim to be affiliated with SpaceX, Starlink, or Elon Musk. They also do not claim to be complete. However, they all agree that millions of people across the country will have a chance to see a streak of Starlink satellites in the sky over the next few days.