Is that a Starlink satellite or a meteor? Here’s how to tell the difference – SlashGear

As you stare up at the night sky, you may be wondering: what is that? A bird? An airplane? A…satellite? There are thousands of satellites orbiting our planet – SpaceX alone has launched over 9,000, and a total of over 15,000 will be in orbit by January 2026. They should be easy to spot, and they often are, but they are also often confused with other celestial bodies, including meteors.

There is much more to see when you look at the stars than just stars. Some objects are easy for everyone to identify, but according to Alyn Wallacewho was an award-winning landscape astrophotographer (someone who takes pictures of all things in our night sky), even the mainstream media sometimes confuses a satellite with a meteor, despite the fact that there are obvious differences. There are several ways that even an amateur observer can identify what he sees, but the easiest is probably speed. Satellites move much slower than meteors, and the difference can be seen even through a camera lens. While a meteor may only appear in one photo or frame, a satellite will likely appear in multiple frames as it moves slowly across the sky.

SpaceX satellites are even easier to spot because they tend to appear as lines of bright, round lights, known as Starlink satellite trains. Sometimes as many as sixty are seen together in what appears from the ground to be a long white line. If you’re still not sure what you’re seeing, there are a few other tricks of the trade.

Most satellites are in low Earth orbit (LEO), which is why they are so easy to see. They are essential to our modern lives. Telecommunications, location and navigation services: without these services we would literally be lost! But what other tactics can you use to identify that glowing object in the sky, especially if you’re a novice stargazer?

In addition to speed, the trail left behind by a satellite also differs from the trail behind a meteor. Both satellites and meteors have tapered ends that decrease in thickness, but in different ways. Meteor trails are often asymmetrical and brightly colored in a flash of light that lasts only a few seconds, while satellites tend to have a more consistent trail that lasts longer and has the same brightness from one end to the other. Meteors can look green or yellow, but satellites usually look white or bluish white. Satellites also do not emit their own light; they simply reflect the light of the sun. This often makes it easier to see them in the hours just before sunrise and sunset.

Other objects in the sky are easier to identify, especially in photos. If you have a series of dotted lines in a linear, horizontal pattern over the course of several photos, it was probably a plane. Of course, if it has clearly visible exterior lighting, it is definitely an airplane; neither meteors nor satellites have exterior lighting. If you’re in doubt, try an app like Star Chart (free) or SkySafari 7 Pro (from $21.99) – or just enjoy the show.