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21 February 2023
GOODLAND, Kan. (KSNT) – Video captured by the National Weather Service claims to show a meteor swarm from over the weekend in western Kansas. However, a local astronomer says otherwise.
The NWS reports via social media that a small swarm of meteors was spotted low on the horizon in the early morning hours on Sunday, Feb. 19, from their station in Goodland. In the video above, this can be seen in the bottom left, rising towards the center as the video progresses.
Brenda Culbertson, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solar System Ambassador, spoke with KSNT News about the video released by the NWS, which sparked a conversation between Culbertson and other local astronomers. The ultimate consensus on what the objects are was difficult to reach however.
“The video does not provide a close enough view of the objects for me to suggest what they are,” Culbertson said.
The lights may have been part of the Starlink Satellite constellation which is made up of thousands of satellites orbiting the earth. The satellites can be spotted at night moving across the sky, and their progress can be monitored online using this link.
The next time the Starlink Satellites are due to pass over Kansas will be around 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 22, according to the Starlink website. To see if the satellites will be passing overhead near you, go to the Starlink website and enter the nearest city or your coordinates to find out when the next satellite group will be visible.