Look to the skies Monday for Humanity Star’s trek
A SPECIAL man-made satellite should be visible in the skies above Guernsey early on Monday morning.
The Humanity Star – a one-metre high metal sphere – was sent into space by entrepreneur Peter Beck last month to act as a ‘disco ball’ for people across the world to view.
The lab behind it has said they wanted the star to be a bright symbol and reminder to all on Earth about our fragile place in the universe.
The Humanity Star website states it should be visible to the naked eye and the best time to view the sphere would be 6.40am on Monday, when it should be visible for four minutes.
David Le Conte, from La Societe Guernesiaise astronomy section, said it might be a challenge to see the object.
‘It’s fairly faint,’ he said.
‘You need a telescope and to know where to point it. Most of the time it is not visible at all.’
But he was keen for islanders to get out to look at the night sky.
‘The Moon at the moment is beautiful and it would be for the next few nights,’ he said.
‘There are also lots of other things to look at in the sky, such as the International Space Station.’
The Humanity Star orbits the earth every 92 minutes and is in a decaying orbit.
That means it will only be in the sky for nine months before burning up in the atmosphere.
The metre-high sphere weighs just 22.7 lb and is covered in 76 reflective panels, which will make it look as if it is flashing as it spins through the sky.
It has drawn some criticism from astronomers as being vandalism of the night sky.
n For more information on how to see the object and its track, visit www.thehumanitystar.com.
