Image of Our Satellite-Choked Night Skies

Photographer Brendan Larsen created a striking composite image showing approximately 14,450 satellite trails captured over Mt. Taranaki, representing roughly 1,400 individual satellites visible in the night sky. The image was created by stitching together 578 photographs taken over two hours, followed by 45 hours of manual editing in Photoshop to mask each satellite trail individually. The photograph has sparked discussion about humanity's growing impact on night skies and astronomy, with fellow photographer Vincent Laforet calling it "an important photograph" that highlights concerns about orbital debris.