The days get shorter and the nights get cold. I like this time of year, but the views are getting old. 

There are lots of ways to change the views of what we see.  One is to observe the same areas we all live in, but at night.  

Let’s spice it up a little bit; looking up or around at night can change our perspectives. Do you all remember that first time staying up late outside with your friends during your teenage years?  Looking at the stars, lying in a sleeping bag next to your best friend, not a worry in the world, but a mind full of wonder. 

I mean, one cannot help but wonder when we look up at the skies.  Whether it is Heaven or endless galaxies, we all wonder about the sky above. 

During my 25 years of stargazing, the sky has changed dramatically.  I recall seeing the Perseids meteor shower and the ever-reliable constellations as a kid. But never did we see satellites.  Now they’re everywhere up there.  

About eight years ago, I recall sitting in a hot spring in Wyoming one night; in about an hour, we counted over 100 satellites crossing over our heads. This was not including the Starlink satellite visual.  These were individual satellites orbiting Earth that were visible from our location.   

I read an article years ago about the beginning of satellites, and how if one person or business was doing it, of course there would be many followers in the industry, just like anything else.  But the cost of these things is astronomical (pun intended), and the quality or functions of many are, well, useless.  

So now we have tens of thousands of satellites orbiting our Earth regularly. Some are there to provide communication services and technological advancements that help our everyday lives be easier. Others are there for government intelligence. The uses are vast, but many have outlived their functional lifespans and continue to orbit as “space junk.” This space junk and functional satellites now crowd the night sky.  Or, in some ways, give it more movement.  

The total number of orbiting objects is estimated at around 31,000, but less than half are thought to be functional in any capacity. 

Personally, I never thought the night sky needed help being one of the most incredible things to observe as a sentient being.  But here we are in 2026, and it is alive with human-made movement. On most clear nights, observing satellites reflecting the sun’s light while moving across our sky is a pretty easy sight. I’d say if you give yourself about an hour along the Delaware River in most locations, you’ll likely see a bald eagle. I think it’s probably easier to see a satellite than a bald eagle. 

The amazing night sky will always have countless stars, planets and now satellites.  I can’t help but wonder if some of them are UFOs or something outta this world.  They are flying objects that I cannot personally identify. So sure, I’ll call some of them UFOs, not UAPs, the government’s new and recently revised acronym for UFOs. 

With these long, cold fall and winter nights ahead, grab yourself a comfortable chair or sleeping pad, dress warmly, grab a hot cup of tea, and post up outside to count some satellites. And while you’re counting, it is hard not to wonder what each one is really doing. Is it the one I can thank for calling my family across the globe? Or is it the first one Dish Network ever put up there in 1995?  

You’ll likely hear coyotes and owls in the distance while observing.  And you may see something that will make you wonder.  What is life without the wonder of amazement?