New Issue: Orbital Catastrophe Ahead? Read Now

Scientific American

Cover of the September 2026 issue of Scientific American, showing different colorful shapes orbiting a planet.

September 2026 Issue

Around 15,000 satellites currently circle Earth, but nearly two million satellites are planned to launch in coming years. This precipitous rise will bring Internet access to many who lack it but could also have dangerous consequences for astronomy, our planet's atmosphere—and the future use of Earth orbit.

Elsewhere in the issue: The Spy Telescope Hunting for Dark Matter | What Really Happened on Easter Island? | How Clean Tech Became Unstoppable

View Full Contents

Discussions

The filling of the night sky with data center satellites is a horrible plan. Humankind will cease to have any connection to the universe, already severely impaired by lighting pollution at night. Earth-based astronomy will be made ineffective. I am a retired earth scientist who was an early adopter of computers, the internet, and the web; but I am against…
vonseg1@sbcglobal.net

SciAm Games

SciAm GamesSciam Games Logo

Math Puzzle: Decrease to increase

Flex your math muscles with this weekend’s brain teaser. Play now.

Grey wolf in winter

Scientific American TravelSciAm Travel Logo

Winter in Yellowstone

with Andrea Thompson

View All Stories