00:00You may have seen these in the sky before, or at least images of them at some point.
00:04But these are SpaceX Starlink satellites.
00:07And while now they might be a spectacle that cranes heads towards the sky when they pass,
00:11now experts are warning that these types of satellites could pose an unprecedented global threat to nature.
00:16Science Alert reports that since just 2019, the number of satellites in orbit has more than doubled.
00:21And aside from that area of Earth's atmosphere quickly becoming cluttered,
00:24with a higher possibility of collisions, it's the light pollution they're worried about.
00:28According to the report, if things continue, even in the planet's darkest corners,
00:32they expect the night sky to brighten by 7.5% over the next decade.
00:37Meaning that work of astronomers at observatories all over the world is going to be affected,
00:41lengthening their sky surveys by a year and increasing their costs by some $21.8 million annually.
00:47With the researchers adding that there are many cosmic events, we'll never even get to see at all if things
00:52continue.
00:52With the University of San Francisco astronomer Aparna Venkatasan saying about it, quote,
00:57Space is our shared heritage and ancestor, connecting us through science, storytelling, art, origin stories, and cultural traditions.
01:04And it is now at risk.
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