SpaceX’s efforts to make its satellites less bright aren’t working

SpaceX is working hard to dim its Starlink satellites to minimise their effects on astronomy, but so far the company’s efforts haven’t worked as astronomers had hoped. That might mean that there is a difficult choice ahead: high-speed internet via satellite megaconstellations, or ground-based astronomy unmarred by bright streaks.

So far, SpaceX has launched more than 4200 Starlink telecommunication satellites, the majority of which are still in orbit – they make up more than half …