This is the spectacular moment a Starlink satellite train was spotted streaking across the night sky in Japan.

CCTV footage shows a line of bright lights moving across the horizon on Tuesday, January 6.

The filmer said: 'I saw the Starlink Train. This is pretty bright. It is x5 speed playback.'

Local media reported that the objects were artificial satellites used for the Starlink communications service.

Authorities confirmed the sighting was visible in western and eastern Japan.

Samantha Lawler, a professor of astronomy at the University of Regina, said Starlink currently has more than 8,000 satellites in orbit - each roughly the size of a Ford F-150 pickup.

She explained that Starlink satellites have a lifespan of just five years. When they reach the end of their operational life, they fall back to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere and leaving behind metallic remnants.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation developed by SpaceX to provide high-speed broadband coverage across the globe, particularly in remote or underserved areas. The system relies on thousands of small satellites orbiting Earth at low altitudes.