Just saw a mess of satellites floating by

[James48]

Was outside, and it looks like a string of 50 or more satellites passed overhead, south of me, from west to east, at a very high azimuth. I’m in northern Michigan and it is in orbit south of me.
You can see the whole train of multiple satellites stretched out. Cool sight!

Must be STARLINK again?

[kentuck]

1. STARLINK again?

When did they go by before? I had read that some satellites had been placed above Ukraine to monitor one side or the other, but I do not know if it is true? That Elan's business, I believe?

[Effete Snob]

2. yes, that's exactly what that was

Put in todays date and a town near you.

This is Detroit:

https://in-the-sky.org/satpasses.php?town=4990729

There's a bunch more on the way in about 15 minutes.

[nilram]

3. Yes. It looks shocking and creepy if you're not expecting it

and don't recognize what it is. Bunched up and irregular before they move to a higher orbit and space out.

Sad for all the astronomers and other night sky-lovers.

[misanthrope]

5. Elon's metaphoric urine trail marking the sky

It's like a bond villain scheme where he fills the sky with them then announces it's actually a weapons system and he is the new planetary ruler.

[localroger]

4. Or, more likely, it was a larger satellite breaking up

If all the bits were moving in the same direction, that wouldn't make sense for something like Starlink where they all need to be in different orbits. But I have seen multiple parallel tracks from an object that was obviously breaking up as it re-entered. That is also what the final witnesses to Columbia's re-entry saw as it broke up.

[Talitha]

6. I thought I read somewhere that he was making the newer ones less reflective?

... because of complaints from astro-photographers.

I've seen the 'trains' of satellites just after they're launched and have to say it's quite a memorable sight. But heck, I'm 70 and remember the thrill of watching Sputnik drift overhead.

[Celerity]

7. Sputnik burnt up in the atmosphere on January 4th, 1958, 3 months after it launched October 4, 1957

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1

Last remaining piece of Sputnik 1: metal arming key which prevented contact between batteries and transmitter prior to launch; on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum