The Highlander THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHT SHOW By: Reuel Jabali A group of students at Highland Academy recently spotted an extraordinary sight in the night sky: a perfect, straight line of white lights, appearing like an unusual train of stars. “I already knew what they were,” said Nikita Charchian, “I saw them on my phone, so I wasn’t stunned when I saw them.” This “too-perfect” formation, standing out dramatically from the other stars, was actually a string of Starlink satellites. As one of the students recalled, “We were just laughing outside when we looked at the sky and noticed the line; the first thing we thought, as a joke, was that it was aliens.” These “aliens” are designed to provide high-speed internet to remote and underserved regions that traditional infrastructure can’t easily reach. Starlink is a division of SpaceX, the company led by Elon Musk. According to Starlink’s website, the system’s primary goal is to reduce “latency”, the time it takes for data to travel, by placing its compact, flat-panel satellites in a low Earth orbit, much closer than conventional satellites. With approximately 8,500 to 10,000 satellites already in orbit, the company has ambitious plans to launch as many as 42,000. As this massive network continues to expand, such ‘satellite trains’ will become an increasingly common sight, raising meaningful discussions about regulation and the impact on our view of the night sky.
Photos from Google Images
Editor In-Chief Magdalen Carlson Reporters Helena Cortelli Eliayna Burnett Reuel Jabali Evan Parris Danielle Caldwell Karissa Hood Cartoon Art Design Joash Alvarez
Design & Art Director Tristan Naumann Photographer Malachi Armantrout Miguel Bittencourt Sponsors Stephanie Rufo Melissa Weisner
In each edition of The Highlander we will have a hidden Highland Cow for you to find. Be the 1st person to come to Mrs. Rufo and you will receive a Small Sonic Slushes page 8