Starlink is Visible Over Sioux Falls This Week at These Times

It's the most wonderful time of the year and also the most opportune time to glimpse Starlink over the night sky in Sioux Falls.

Having the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Starlink in the night sky can be a fun experience for the entire family. Luckily, a handy website has a list of upcoming dates where you can see the spacecraft orbiting over the Sioux Empire.

Get our free mobile app

Credit: Canva

Since it launched, the Starlink satellites are closely grouped together and can look like a "train" of bright dots moving across the sky. This formation is sometimes referred to as a "string of pearls."

Starlink satellites, when visible in the night sky, typically appear as a string of bright lights moving in a straight line. To catch a glimpse of Starlink satellites, you can use various online tools and apps that provide satellite tracking information, helping you determine when they will be visible in your location.

I used the website, FInd Starlink to find upcoming dates in December, in which the string of satellites may be visible over the Sioux Empire. Here's what I found:

Timings with good visibility

6:29 pm, 8 Dec 2024

Starlink-213 (G12-5) (new), BRIGHT (3.9) for 4 mins
Look from SOUTHWEST to SOUTH (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 11°, max: 30°, end: 30°

6:31 pm, 9 Dec 2024

Starlink-213 (G12-5) (new), BRIGHT (3.6) for 4 mins
Look from SOUTHWEST to SOUTHWEST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 40°, end: 40°

6:30 pm, 10 Dec 2024

Starlink-213 (G12-5) (new), BRIGHT (3.4) for 4 mins
Look from WEST to SOUTHWEST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 49°, end: 49°

6:27 pm, 11 Dec 2024

Starlink-213 (G12-5) (new), BRIGHT (3.2) for 4 mins
Look from WEST to SOUTHWEST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 54°, end: 54°

Timings with average visibility

(past) 5:22 pm, 7 Dec 2024

Starlink-204 (G6-68), DIM (3.8) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 81°, end: 10°

This may not be visible, based on recent user reports

6:03 pm, 8 Dec 2024

Starlink-204 (G6-68), DIM (2.6) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to EAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 76°, end: 24°

This may not be visible, based on recent user reports

6:46 pm, 9 Dec 2024

Starlink-204 (G6-68), DIM (4.0) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to SOUTH (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 41°, end: 40°

This may not be visible, based on recent user reports

5:55 pm, 10 Dec 2024

Starlink-204 (G6-68), DIM (3.5) for 6 mins
Look from WEST to SOUTHEAST (details)
Elevation (from horizon): start: 10°, max: 54°, end: 12°

This may not be visible, based on recent user reports

Starlink may not be visible during some of these times due to cloud cover or other weather-related issues. Regardless, this website is a valuable tool to use if you want to know when it's flying over our night sky. To see for yourself, check out the Find Starlink Website.

To see a video on what it looks like when Starlink first begins to appear in the night sky, check out the YouTube link below.

https://youtu.be/ej3IV_WW0LE?si=6wDIXLbClop1OqTx

Story Sources: Find Starlink Website