Astronomers warn 'wilderness' of southern night sky at risk from SpaceX satellites

Stargazing under threat as pristine skies over New Zealand and Australia fill with scores of Starlink satellites

Astronomers in the southern hemisphere have warned that the wonders of the night sky are at risk from hundreds of satellites that have been shot into space by Elon Musk's company SpaceX.

The night skies of Australia and New Zealand are globally renowned for their clarity, drawing tourists from across the world to dark-sky sanctuaries such as Tekapo on New Zealand's South Island and the Warrumbungle national park in New South Wales.