A NASA astronaut shared a video from a moment taken from the International Space Station, highlighting the bright lights seen on the Earth's horizon in space, dubbing them the "cosmic fireflies." In what was supposed to be a phenomenon, astronaut Don Pettit revealed it to be a not-so-novel thing in space, and it turned out to be a human-made machine spotted from orbit.
In the video, it clearly showed flickering lights passing over the planet that at first glance, may look like a new discovery of a cosmic entity that is yet unknown, but the mystery is only an overreach to what it actually is.
'Cosmic Fireflies' Spotted From the ISS? No It's Not Says NASA Astronaut
NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is currently aboard the International Space Station, shared a video earlier this week about a new phenomenon which he dubbed as "cosmic fireflies," but are not exactly something to rave about. The video from Pettit shows off multiple flickering particle-like objects in space that may resemble your ordinary bugs found on fields, illuminating the night.
Cosmic fireflies. Actually, these are Starlink satellites momentarily flashing sunlight towards @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/rOKUdLlP3f
— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) December 1, 2024
However, the NASA astronaut quickly revealed what these objects really are, and they are not a new discovery in space that introduces a new phenomenon, rather, a human-made satellite group known as Starlink.
Yes, these flickering lights are SpaceX's Starlink satellites which are reflecting the sunlight that hits them from the main source, appearing as though they are "flashing" whenever passing by, especially to ISS residents.
Astronaut Shows How Human-Made Spacecraft Appear Overhead
Starlink is only one name from the many satellite constellations that are seen from the ISS, as well as from the Earth's surface when they pass by, and several experts have already shared their concerns about this growing trend. It is knownthat many companies, SpaceX included, are planning to expand more of their satellites overhead, particularly as the satellite internet service rivalry is rising, and multiple countries are looking to send their tech to orbit.
Earth's Orbit Features Many Human-Made Spacecraft
Over the past years from the 2010 and 2020 decades, there have been an abundance of human-made (artificial) satellites that were sent to the Earth's orbit where it will help supply the world with abundant data seen from above. However, it has also seen significant backlash as they are already filling up the planet's orbit at a faster rate now, with the BlueWalker 3 regarded as one of the 'brightest' objects in the night sky now.
Moreover, the world also saw SpaceX's increased missions in delivering payloads for different commercial companies looking to put their satellites into space, including its very own internet satellite service, Starlink. SpaceX is one of the top-regarded companies to fulfill orbital missions to bring new satellites to orbit, with Starlink already notorious for thousands of its spacecraft filling up the skies.
What was supposed to be a novel discovery on the Earth's orbit turned out to be one of the most disappointing reveals from a NASA astronaut, as it is not a natural sighting of a new phenomenon in space. Rather, it was a group of Starlink satellites that were passing overhead and reflecting sunlight as it hit their panels, appearing as flickering lights that may be mistaken for fireflies.
