SpaceX launched the first 60 operational Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit this week. While providing global broadband internet is a noble and technically fascinating goal, the astronomy community is feeling a profound sense of unease.



Following the launch, amateur astronomers and observatories around the world captured footage of a bright "train" of satellites moving across the night sky. If thousands of these are deployed as planned, it could severely impact both casual stargazing and crucial long-exposure astrophotography. We are entering an era of mega-constellations, and we urgently need to figure out how to balance technological progress with preserving our view of the cosmos.