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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Saffron Otter

Starlink satellites will be visible in the sky again tonight - and you may even see some shooting stars

Skywatchers are in for a treat as there’s a double whammy of mysterious lights to be seen tonight - Tuesday, April 21.

People across the UK have been stunned after first witnessing the Starlink satellites on Sunday and they’re set to make yet another appearance in just a few hours.

On top of this, it’s also a good time to catch a shooting star or two as the Lyrid meteor shower is set to peak overnight.

But you’ll have to stay up quite late for this one as the best time to look out for the Lyrid is after midnight and into the early hours, according to the Royal Observatory.

Meteors (dpa)

The Starlink is thousands of tiny satellites that look like moving stars that are flying across the sky in a straight line - like a train.

While they look super dazzling, they actually have a purpose and are being used to provide remote locations across the world with low-cast internet - launched by entrepreneur Elon Musk's company - SpaceX.

And while we refer to them as 'shooting stars', meteors are actually caused by particles and fragments shed by comets and asteroids. They fall into the atmosphere and burn up - which is why we see them as a streak of light in the sky.

This particular Lyrid shower is a result of debris left in the wake of Comet Thatcher.

Following its peak tonight, the Lyrid meteor shower is expected to continue until around April 25, so there is still time if you can't stay up tonight.

Here are the estimated times the Starlink satellites should appear flying over and in brackets if they will be of good or dim visibility, according to findastarlink.com.

April 21

8.58pm: Starlink-5,6 will be visible over the UK for five minutes travelling from southwest to east (dim).

10.34pm: Starlink-5,6 will be visible over the UK for six minutes travelling from west to east (bright).

April 22

12.10am: Starlink-5,6 will be visible over the UK for six minutes travelling from west to west (dim).

4.04am: Starlink 3 will be visible over the UK for four minutes travelling from southwest to east (bright).

The above timings are for the north west of England, and timings at other parts of the UK may vary by a few minutes. You can enter your location here to find the days and times they'll be most visible in your area.

You can also track the satellites using the Starlink Starlink app, which automatically calculates when the SpaceX satellites are expected to be visible above your current location.

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