Many Kiwis reported witnessing an unusual string of lights in the sky last night, but it was nothing extra terrestrial.
The lights are from the latest SpaceX launch of Starlink satellites, according to Tauranga Astronomical Society.
On its website, SpaceX said it launched it's fourth group of 60 Starlink satellites from an Air Force Station in Florida.
The orbital satellite constellation is being constructed with an initial 12,000 satellites in total planned to provide faster, near-global internet access, according to SpaceX.
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The launch of so many small satellites has organisations, like the Tauranga Astronomical Society, worried about the possible implications of space junk and the effect it could have on astronomy.
"While the Starlink trains are spectacular to see, the increasing number of satellites have worrying implications for astrophotography and astrometry with long exposure images being ruined with multiple satellites streaking through the images,” Tauranga Astonomical Society posted on Facebook.
https://twitter.com/BenThomasNZ/status/1223534001777868801
https://twitter.com/Luke_S_Mason/status/1223536211018444802
Kiwis around the country recorded seeing the string of lights last night, leaving some confused and others fascinated.
"Excuse me can someone tell me what the giant long string of lights travelling across the sky in Auckland just now was, I don’t have the time or energy to be a UFO enthusiast," said one Twitter user.
Starlink launches are set to continue around the globe later this year.
