According to a number of people across the region, if you were looking upward at the night sky Tuesday and Wednesday evening, you may have caught a glimpse of something pretty interesting... something that may have looked unlike anything you've ever seen crossing the horizon at night.

Lorna Martens reached out to PembinaValleyOnline to share photos she took over her home those nights.

"We were outside our house in Schanzenfeld last night (Tuesday) looking for the Northern lights," Martens explained in an email to us. "They made a brief appearance, and during that time we happened to see this fast moving row of satellites coming out from behind the trees to the west of us. They came over the following night as well, much lower this time, and directly overhead."

Martens noted she had never seen anything like this before.

"They moved rapidly, and came almost directly over us and then disappeared," she added. "They were visible for about five minutes.  I was wondering if it could be the Starlink Satellites?"

And that is a great question.

According to the company's website, Starlink is the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet. As of July 2023, there were more than 4,500 Starlink satellites in orbit, and according to one online satellite map, at any given time, dozens of them are moving across Canada, including Southern Manitoba.

As per an article on StarlinkInsider.com, after launch, the, "Satellites initially orbit earth in multiple groups and take advantage of a concept called plane drift, thus enabling Starlink to cover various parts of our globe. The initially grouped together satellites then form the trains that we see back down on earth. Unfortunately, that sight is only of temporary nature. According to Harvard scientist Jonathan McDowell, Starlink’s satellites remain in their train-like position for a few months after which they each go their separate ways."

So, with that all taken into account, and the photo provided by Martens, it looks like Starlink satellites are what were captured on camera.

Starlink satellites in skyLorna Martens captured this picture Wednesday night

 

Starlink satellites in skyAlso from Wednesday night. Submitted by Lorna Martens.

The video below was taken September 12thby Dalia Perdomo over her home near Myrtle.

"I was looking at the Northern Lights, I also managed to see the train of lights from space satellites," she shared in an email to us. "When I saw it, I didn't know what it was, then I found out and knew they are satellites."

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