Beebs has his eyes on the skies
By Lethbridge Herald on August 29, 2025.
Al Beeber
Lethbridge Herald
I’m an early riser – a really early riser by some standards. Six out of seven days a week, I’m up in the morning by 4:15 at the latest to have a coffee, catch up on my fantasy baseball/football/hockey pool (depending on the season) and sit on the deck – weather permitting – gazing at the stars.
Stargazing has become a favourite hobby of mine in the pre-dawn time I take to sit in the dark and prepare for the day.
From my deck, I have a fantastic view of a portion of the northwest sky with no streetlights to dim the view. Sitting on the deck, I gaze skyward, often thinking about what is up there among the billions of stars, most either barely visible or completely unseen billions of light years away.
What I do see often are satellites crossing the sky in a couple of different directions – west to east and north to south at blazing speeds.
A few weeks ago while on the lawn at 3 a.m. to catch the Perseid meteor shower, it dawned on me, so to speak, how many satellites are travelling overhead.
Every few minutes one would zip by – more than I expected. And the meteor shower was interesting, too. In the span of less than 30 minutes, 11 of them flashed by.
As of May, there were between 11,700 and 12,149 active satellites (depending on the source) orbiting our planet so I guess it should come as no surprise some would be visible in the dark. And according to website nanoavionics.com, the number of satellites is expected to grow what it calls exponentially into 2030.
Of all those satellites, the United States has about 8,000, followed by Russia with 1,500 and China 800. Canada has roughly 70 circling the globe.
So why can’t we see all the satellites in orbit? According to Scientific American, some are in higher orbit, move slowly and tend to be dimmer which makes them easier to spot. But during the twilight hours, a person should be able to see numerous satellites during an hour. Which I can vouch for. They’re out there somewhere and you don’t have to look long to see one streaking across the sky.
But the proliferation of satellites is also creating concern of light pollution, impacting the ability to see stars because of them. From my mall vantage point, that hasn’t been an issue and I can tell you that, from the island at Nicholas Sheran Lake, a person can have an amazing view of the sky and all the stars shimmering above us. If you’re walking in the dark or fishing like a friend of mine does.
That early morning time with coffee in hand watching the heavens is a fantastic way to start the day – calming and spiritually rewarding. And I look forward to it every single morning – well, most mornings, that is.
13-12
Your leadership as Editor at the Herald is missed Mr. Beeber! Your reporting which was fact based, with honest points of view are not matched by the new leadership and knowledge no longer matters, as we have seen in some articles or judgements.
I wish you well in your new adventures and still enjoy the articles you write from time to time. I appreciate the fact you are running for Council and you will have my vote as well.
All the Best!