Backyard astronomer Felix Schöfbänker has captured images of what are likely a new breed of spy satellites launched into orbit by the US National Reconnaissance Office. See below.
"My images have certainly revealed a few things that either were not known, or only were speculated before," Schöfbänker tells Space.com.
By analyzing his photos, Schöfbänker believes his latest snapshots depict the FIA-Radars, also known as Topaz, a group of five US spy satellites equipped with a radar system that allows them to capture images through clouds and in any lighting conditions, day or night.
Is his hobby frowned upon by the spooks behind the spy sats?
"I don't think that most countries would be too concerned about amateurs like me imaging their spacecraft, since most big countries have their own observatories dedicated to this kind of imaging," Schöfbänker says. "And considering how much more budget is available for these, it's safe to say that they have images with magnitudes of better quality than what I can achieve."
See more of his astrophotography on his Astrobin page.
Previously:
• Backyard astronomer captures astonishing video of huge fireball whacking into Jupiter (video)
• Backyard astronomer captures amazing solar flare images
