What is the Starlink train, and why does it fade?
The "Starlink train" is a line of newly launched satellites crossing the sky one after another. You only see it for about the first week or two after a launch.
Where the line comes from
The rocket (usually a Falcon 9; some recent batches fly on Starship from Starbase) releases its whole batch of Starlink satellites at once into a low "parking" orbit. They start out close together and all follow almost the same path, so from the ground they look like beads on a string, each one crossing a few seconds after the one before.
They are low (roughly 280–350 km at first, against about 480–550 km for working Starlink satellites) and they fly in an attitude that catches more sunlight. That combination is why a fresh train is bright enough to see from a city.
Why it fades
- The line spreads out. Each satellite fires its thruster to climb on its own schedule. Within days the gaps grow from seconds to minutes, and the "train" becomes scattered single dots.
- They climb. Brightness falls with distance: a satellite twice as far away looks about 1.5 magnitudes fainter.
- They turn dark side down. Once working, the satellites keep their solar panel and body angled to reflect less light toward the ground. Working Starlink satellites are around magnitude 6–7: at the limit of the naked eye even in a dark place.
On our city pages a pass is flagged Train when the satellites come from a launch in the last 10 days and pass within a few minutes of each other.
Is there a train right now?
Yes: 1 launch in the last 10 days (2026-225 on 28 September 2026). Whether it passes over you in darkness depends on your latitude and the date; check your city.
Data as of 7 Oct 2026, 16:02 UTC.
Questions
Why do Starlink satellites look like a train?
Right after launch, the satellites are released together and fly one behind another in almost the same orbit, so they cross the sky in a line a few seconds apart.
How long is the Starlink train visible?
About a week to ten days. The satellites spread out as they raise their orbits at different times, and they turn to a darker attitude, so the line breaks up and fades.
Is the Starlink train dangerous or a UFO?
Neither. It is a line of newly launched communication satellites reflecting sunlight, 300 to 500 km up.