What a Starlink “train” looks like
SpaceX launches Starlink satellites dozens at a time. For the first days after a launch they travel close together, so from the ground they look like a line of evenly spaced, steady points of light moving together across the sky — often described as a “string of pearls” or a “train”.
They are seen when they are still in sunlight but the ground below is dark: shortly after sunset and before sunrise. Over the following days and weeks the satellites raise their orbits and spread out, so the train breaks up and becomes much harder to spot.
Sources: Space.com — how to see and track the Starlink train ↗ · Wikipedia — Starlink ↗
How to tell it’s Starlink
- ✅ A straight line — the lights follow the same path, one behind another.
- ✅ The same speed — they move together, steadily, without stopping or zig-zagging.
- ✅ Steady lights — no blinking red and green like an aircraft.
- ✅ Silent — no engine sound at all.
- ✅ Twilight — within a couple of hours of sunset or sunrise, in the days after a Starlink launch.
- ✅ They fade out one after another — as each satellite passes into Earth’s shadow.
Not sure? Put in your place on What’s that light in the sky? — it flags recent Starlink launches and shows the planets, the space station and planes over you right now.
🚀 Recent and upcoming Starlink launches
Coming up
- Starship | Starlink Group 31-2 (Starship Flight 15) — SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-21 — Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Recently launched
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-18 — Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-16 — Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-15 — Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 15-25 — Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Launch data: The Space Devs Launch Library. Launch dates change often.
Starlink in the ufos.dev archive
166 sightings on ufos.dev mention Starlink — in the title, the witness’s description or the Skeptic’s corner note. The most-upvoted:
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What is the line of lights moving across the night sky?
A straight line of evenly spaced, steady lights moving together is usually a “train” of Starlink satellites, launched by SpaceX in batches. It is easiest to see in the first days after a launch, while the satellites are still close together.
Why can I see Starlink satellites?
Like the space station, they reflect sunlight. Shortly after sunset or before sunrise the satellites high above are still in sunlight while the ground below is dark, so they shine like a string of moving stars.
When is the best time to see a Starlink train?
In the first few days after a Starlink launch, shortly after dusk or before dawn. Over the following days and weeks the satellites spread out along their orbits, and the train breaks up. Recent and upcoming Starlink launches →
Are Starlink trains UFOs?
They are identified objects — satellites — but people who have never seen one often report them as UFOs. 166 sightings on ufos.dev mention Starlink. Starlink sightings in the archive →
How can I tell if a light was Starlink?
Check the time against recent Starlink launches and look for the signs: a straight line, the same speed, steady (not blinking) lights, no sound, and lights that fade out one after another as they pass into Earth’s shadow. Check your sky tonight →