OHIO, USA — If you were looking toward the Ohio sky around 9:30 p.m. Thursday, you may have seen something a little strange.
That bright string of lights many viewers reported seeing was a Starlink satellite train moving through its orbit.
Starlink, the Elon Musk broadband internet company, operates with a large network of low-orbit satellites, many of which are routinely visible from Earth during nighttime hours.
According to findstarlink.com, the website tracks when the satellites will be visible in various locations, Thursday night was an unusually good opportunity to see one over central Ohio.
If you missed seeing the satellite Thursday, there's good news.
Findstarlink.com says, given clear skies, people in central Ohio should have a chance to see the satellites every night through Monday, May 8.
What is Starlink?
Starlink uses a network of more than 2,000 satellites orbiting Earth more than 340 miles up. The company is continuing to launch satellites in batches as part of its goal of providing high-speed broadband internet around the world, particularly places with poor connectivity.
The satellites have played a role in keeping Ukrainians connected to the internet since the Russian invasion of the country. Last February, Musk sent truckloads of equipment to Ukraine to allow people there to use the satellite-based internet service even as Russian forces cut off other internet access.
The system was also used in Tonga after a huge volcanic eruption and tsunami severed a crucial undersea cable, cutting off its main internet connection for weeks.
The large number of satellites being launched by Starlink and other companies, including Amazon, have been a source of frustration for some, though. The "satellite pollution" created by the thousands of orbiting objects make it difficult for astronomers to observe space.