A bright chain of satellites in the sky will be visible for those living in the North Island on Sunday evening.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink satellites are part of the company’s plan to create a massive constellation of small broadband satellites to provide internet services across the globe.
The company launched its first batch of 60 satellites in May 2019, and hopes to finish the project in 2027.
A trail of SpaceX Starlink satellites pass over New Zealand skies.
By then, the network could include up to 42,000 satellites.
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Space scientist Duncan Steel said the 60 satellites that would be visible from 8.02pm until 8.13pm on Sunday were launched by the company on March 4.
Areas such as Palmerston North, Taup, Raglan, Hamilton, Tauranga, Auckland and Whangrei would all be able to see the satellites as long as the sky is clear.
Craig Bailey/Florida Today via AP
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Kennedy Space Center on March 4, carrying 60 Starlink satellites.
Wellington and New Plymouth are unlikely to be a good place to view the satellites.
The action starts at 8.02pm, when the first satellites appear low in the sky in the southwest, Steel said.
Each will take about five minutes to rise gradually in the sky, passing to the south of observers, before dipping out of view again low in the sky between east and north-east.
The last one visible in the chain will appear at 8.08pm, and disappear again at 8.13pm.
Satellites passing over New Zealand in February 2020.
Steel said the speed of the satellites in their orbit is about 7.5 kilometres per second, and they are passing over New Zealand at an altitude of about 325km.
Starlink satellite chains had travelled over New Zealand many times.
Steel previously told Stuffit was not unusual, but people did find the satellites moving across the sky quite startling.
Were going to see more and more in the future, he said.
They remain as a chain as such for a week or two, as they are gradually spreading out.