Not everything that twinkles in the night sky is a star or a planet. Satellites have the same basic appearance as stars and unless you’re looking at them for a long time, the human eye cannot tell the difference.

If, on the other hand, you’re pointing your camera set for time lapse into the sky, you can see distinct differences in the way they appear. The ones in the video below are geostationary satellites that are easily seen when contrasted against the stars in their background. Taken from one of the highest revolving restaurants in the world at Mittelallalin in the Swiss Alps, the video makes a visually stunning point about how the things we see at a glance aren’t always what they seem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSWW-x2SUcs