[EdwinHoksberg]

The text at the last image doesn't seem right, I think the stripes are stars and the little dots are geostationary satellites. If the photographer took a fixed long exposure the earth would rotate and the stars would move against the sky, but because the satellites are in a geostationary orbit they move with the earth's rotation so it looks like they don't move at all.

[dlgtho]

Here is Trevor explaining this image in his presentation:

https://media.ccc.de/v/30C3_-_5604_-_en_-_saal_1_-_201312282...

[euroclydon]

Spy satellites aren't geostationary, they're on a polar orbit. There's a bunch of them staggered out to allow photos of anywhere within some max time interval.

[EdwinHoksberg]

Yes you would be correct if we were talking about imaging satellites, but communication spy satellites would be in geostationary orbit :)

[smoyer]

But with a motorized equatorial mount, the stars would stay in the same positions. Nonetheless, I came to the same conclusion that you did because there should be more stars than satellites and the stars should be brighter (by far) than the satellites.