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| Amazon LEO Satellites |
Seeing a satellite move at night is cool. But for me—a sky watcher—it’s a real problem. A new report says Amazon’s Leo satellites are too bright. They can hurt star studies. Amazon launched its first Kuiper satellites in April 2025. It plans to launch over 3,200 total. They’ll give fast net to many places. But they may ruin our night sky. (Amazon Satellite Internet)
Why Are They So Bright?
Satellites act like shiny mirrors. They send sun rays to Earth. When they climb to their final path, their light jumps around. They can flash out of nowhere. Last month, I took sky photos. One flash wrecked three shots. We had waited months for that time. (Amazon SpaceX Satellite Internet)
The IAU made two simple rules. One rule keeps science safe. Satellites must be dim. So they don’t spoil photos. The other rule keeps the sky pretty. If you can see a satellite with your eyes, it’s too bright.
They Don’t Follow the Rules
The team checked 2,000 LEO satellite views. Most broke the rules. The report says: “92% were too bright for science. 25% made the sky less nice to see.”
These satellites glow at level 6.28. The faintest star we see is level 6.0. So most of the time, you won’t see them. But if they flash, you might. Telescopes always see them. The IAU says they should be dimmer than 7.15. LEO satellites are not. (Elon Musk Satellite Internet)
Now, they fly 630 km up. But Amazon got the OK to fly new ones lower—590 km and 610 km. Lower means brighter. So things may get worse.
Amazon says it’s trying to help. In a June 2025 deal with the NSF—I joined the talks—they’re testing dark paint. They’re also tilting satellites. So they don’t catch the sun. (SpaceX Starlink Satellites)
