SpaceX launched 22 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Friday, adding to the low-Earth orbit constellation. These satellites were visible over parts of the Lehigh Valley on Saturday night. Starlink is a project by SpaceX to create a global internet satellite constellation, already serving over 60 countries.

Residents of Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, were intrigued by the sighting of a strange string of lights in the sky on Saturday night. Erica Marie, a resident of Bethlehem, captured a photo of the lights and initially felt confused. She posted the photo on the Facebook group Complainers of Bethlehem to discuss the unusual phenomenon.

According to tracking website FindStarlink.com, the satellites were visible in the Bethlehem area shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. They are expected to be visible again on Sunday night for about four minutes, starting at 8:37 p.m., depending on cloud cover.

The Starlink project is part of Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, and aims to provide low-cost internet services to remote locations. This particular launch marked the fifth flight for the first stage booster which had previously supported other missions. SpaceX has conducted 64 orbital missions in 2023 alone.

The launch of these Starlink satellites is part of SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to expand its global satellite constellation for internet coverage. With each launch, the constellation grows larger, providing internet services to more regions around the world.