Mysterious lights spotted across S. Oregon likely Starlink satellites

MEDFORD, Ore. – We got a lot of calls to our newsroom Thursday night about a weird string of lights in the night sky. No, it wasn’t aliens.

According to findstarlink.com, the lights were caused by sunlight reflecting off SpaceX Starlink satellites. They were visible over portions of the western United States last Thursday night, including Oregon.

The satellites are part of a growing constellation meant to provide wireless internet service across the globe. So far, there are over 350 operational Starlink satellites in orbit around the Earth. SpaceX hopes to launch thousands more in the coming years.

For many worried what a sky packed with tiny glowing orbs will look like, SpaceX said they’re experimenting with making the satellites less reflective. And they are only visible to the naked eye during a short period of time when the observer is in Earth’s shadow, but the satellites are high enough to still be bathed in sunshine.

If you missed seeing the satellites Thursday night, they’ll fly over again at about 9:25 p.m. Friday, according to findstarlink.com. You can also track individual satellites at SATFLARE.com.