
Watch these Starlink satellites whiz by as a comet makes a cosmic cameo
- by Digital Trends
- Jul 24, 2025
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The more Starlink satellites SpaceX deploys, the wider the broadband coverage and the more reliable the service becomes. Starlink currently serves broadband internet to around 120 countries and territories, with more than 6 million customers on its books.
But there’s also a cost to having such a large constellation. Astronomers, for example, have been complaining for years that the growing number of Starlink satellites is interfering with their observations of deep space.
The issue concerns sunlight reflecting off the satellites’ surfaces. SpaceX has attempted to reduce the brightness of the reflected light by coating the satellites in a dark material, and also by adding reflective film to redirect the sunlight away from Earth.
But that’s not the only problem. Starlink satellites also emit radio signals that can interfere with sensitive radio astronomy observations, making it harder for astronomers to study the universe at certain wavelengths.
As for Comet C/2024, it won’t be appearing in other ISS videos anytime soon. The comet made its closest pass to Earth on January 13, coming within 8.7 million miles (around 14 million km) of our planet. But it’s not expected to return for hundreds of thousands of years, so this particular flyby was a very rare approach.
Interested to see more of Don Pettit’s work? Then check out this collection of his best imagery from his most recent orbital mission.
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