Optical 26 April 2009

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Tue Apr 28 2009 - 12:49:56 UTC

  • Next message: Peter Wakelin: "SATOBS 2009 April 27-28"

    Observations 26 April 2009
    ----------------------------------
    
    Cosatrak 1 (Computerised satellite Tracking System).
    Camera mount now carries two systems that can be operated
    together as two totally different sytems and computers used.
    Generally the DSI Pro II camera will be used for high altitude
    slow moving objects. Tests seem to indicate that its sensitivity
    is better than the MINTRON which is now serioulsy affected by
    numerous dead pixels, but as its not possible to time stamp the
    CCD frames to better than 1 second accuracy the time resolution
    is not good enough for LEO objects.
    
    (1) 70-200mm focal length f/2.8 NIKKON telephoto lens fitted to
    MINTRON low light level CCD surveillance camera (0.005 lux typical
    in non integration mode) and 0.00005 lux in STARLIGHT mode with 128
    frame integration. This has replaced the 145mm f/2.5 lens used
    previously.
    Images integrated normally for 2.56 seconds.Field of view (200mm)=
    1.85 x 1.36 degrees and showing about mag +12 stars in "real time".
    Used for leo and other medium altitude satellites where timing to
    0.1 seconds is required. Individual frames are video time stamped
    with GPS derived signal.
    
    (2)Meade DSI Pro II Monochrome CCD camera without filters,using
    integration times of 5 sec min to 25 seconds maximum depending on
    brightness of sky in particular area.No image processing done, but
    some done automatically in the APEX-II auto reduction software.
    
    Used with 4 inch SKYWATCHER refractor-model 1025-fitted with home
    made focal reducer to give an f/2.56 system. Image scale is 6.56 arc
    sec/pixel and field of view 84.8 x 63.2 arc minutes. This telescope
    will probably replace the 6 inch reflector used previously as image
    quality is better, has a larger field of view, has less surface area so
    less prone to wind shake, and in addition is at least as sensitive
    to the 6 inch reflector. Shows 15th magnitude stars in real time with
    reasonably good conditions.
    
    Exposure time to nearest second inserted into image FITS header
    from PC clock which is automatically checked every minute against
    GPS signal.
    
    Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude -33.94058 deg,
    Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa
    
    
    For CLASSIFIED.TLE: (Manually measured:)
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    23533 95 015A   0433 F 20090426174501500 56 15 2030520-714240 39  +070 05
    23533 95 015A   0433 F 20090426174701700 56 15 0250584-853845 39  +060 05
    23533 95 015A   0433 F 20090426174902000 56 15 0707593-480431 39  +060 05
    25991 99 067A   0433 F 20090426181029600 56 15 0252341-603836 39  +070 05
    25991 99 067A   0433 F 20090426181144600 56 15 0418140-463538 39  +070 05
    25991 99 067A   0433 F 20090426181301300 56 15 0508110-262313 39  +070 05
    25991 99 067A   0433 F 20090426181400900 56 15 0530562-103502 39  +075 05
    28637 05 011B   0433 F 20090426174059900 56 15 0235086-483243 39  +090 05
    28637 05 011B   0433 F 20090426174146800 56 15 0312010-402252 39  +090 05
    28637 05 011B   0433 F 20090426174243100 56 15 0345077-285549 39  +095 05
    28637 05 011B   0433 F 20090426174322200 56 15 0402190-203744 39  +100 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 F 20090426194811400 56 15 0601578-421410 39  +075 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 F 20090426194949100 56 15 0634394-393953 39  +075 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 F 20090426195202600 56 15 0713107-352335 39  +070 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 F 20090426195346000 56 15 0738109-314634 39  +070 05
    20344 89 061D   0433 F 20090426193946000 56 15 1255156+255744 39  +100 05
    20344 89 061D   0433 F 20090426194002000 56 15 1256382+253536 39  +100 05
    20344 89 061D   0433 F 20090426194019000 56 15 1257576+251355 39  +100 05
    28385 04 034B   0433 F 20090426182547000 56 15 0428057-335910 39  +100 05
    28385 04 034B   0433 F 20090426182854000 56 15 0432053-354530 39  +100 05
    28385 04 034B   0433 F 20090426183851000 56 15 0446349-415504 39  +100 05
    
    For CLASSFD.TLE (Automatic measurement with APEX-II:)
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    20344 89 061D   0433 F 20090426193954500 16 35 1255999+257784 39  +120 11
    20344 89 061D   0433 F 20090426193938500 16 15 1254385+260839 88  +132 06
    26880 01 033A   0433 F 20090426184535000 16 15 1406565+080728 18  +117 03
    26880 01 033A   0433 F 20090426184909500 16 15 1410311+080424 57  +117 02
    26880 01 033A   0433 F 20090426185226500 16 15 1413490+080133 18  +115 01
    27938 03 041B   0433 F 20090426184909500 16 15 1408123+082429 57  +107 01
    27938 03 041B   0433 F 20090426185226500 16 15 1411302+082706 18  +107 01
    27938 03 041B   0433 F 20090426184535000 16 15 1404380+082135 18  +105 01
    28385 04 034B   0433 F 20090426182927000 16 15 0432515-360614 38  +141 04
    28385 04 034B   0433 F 20090426182516000 16 25 0427480-334573 48  +152 45
    28385 04 034B   0433 F 20090426183902000 16 15 0446510-420117 58  +130 03
    29242 06 024C   0433 F 20090426201745000 16 15 1454079+065737 28  +126 02
    29242 06 024C   0433 F 20090426200854000 16 15 1444540+070224 28  +134 02
    29242 06 024C   0433 F 20090426201242000 16 25 1448861+070040 59  +134 18
    32287 07 054A   0433 F 20090426212159000 16 15 1448416+031935 28  +119 01
    32287 07 054A   0433 F 20090426212222000 16 15 1449044+032042 38  +115 01
    32287 07 054A   0433 F 20090426212552000 16 15 1452347+032139 28  +124 01
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20090426170029000 16 15 1033461+054027 18  +086 00
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20090426170504500 16 15 1038221+053636 18  +088 00
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20090426170758500 16 15 1041162+053410 18  +087 01
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20090426172311000 16 15 1056292+052123 28  +088 01
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20090426172512000 16 15 1058296+051941 28  +087 01
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20090426212707000 16 15 1500133+023351 18  +078 01
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20090426212929000 16 15 1502356+023254 18  +077 01
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20090426213151000 16 15 1504577+023159 18  +080 01
    33491 09 001B   0433 F 20090426172142000 16 15 1056287+045233 67
    33491 09 001B   0433 F 20090426172512000 16 15 1059376+044951 28
    33491 09 001B   0433 F 20090426171109500 16 15 1046567+050035 28  +103 01
    90040 05 683A   0433 F 20090426180512000 16 15 1152149-105128 18  +111 01
    90040 05 683A   0433 F 20090426191401000 16 15 1239559-160044 29  +094 09
    90040 05 683A   0433 F 20090426191049000 16 15 1237173-154617 28  +103 01
    90040 05 683A   0433 F 20090426175512000 16 15 1146226-100557 28  +108 01
    90075 05 605D   0433 F 20090426190600000 16 15 1332196+011100 29  +139 10
    90075 05 605D   0433 F 20090426190458000 16 15 1331315+011223 78  +138 05
    90075 05 605D   0433 F 20090426190851000 16 15 1334242+010647 39  +125 08
    90083 09 526A   0433 F 20090426195926000 16 15 0855074+163533 28  +110 02
    90083 09 526A   0433 F 20090426200356000 16 15 0901270+110556 38  +130 21
    90083 09 526A   0433 F 20090426195525000 16 15 0850005+203212 38  +099 01
    96028 96 528A   0433 F 20090426192456000 16 15 1107543+155142 28  +090 00
    96028 96 528A   0433 F 20090426192643000 16 15 1109420+154807 38  +090 01
    96028 96 528A   0433 F 20090426192331000 16 15 1106281+155431 28  +090 01
    96039 96 539A   0433 F 20090426203841000 16 15 1237442+043359 38  +134 02
    96039 96 539A   0433 F 20090426203212000 16 25 1231403+045995 28  +121 21
    96039 96 539A   0433 F 20090426203442000 16 15 1233508+045032 38  +130 02
    96049 96 549A   0433 F 20090426201958000 16 15 1146375-003810 49  +119 11
    96049 96 549A   0433 F 20090426202506000 16 15 1151403-005606 78  +129 04
    96049 96 549A   0433 F 20090426203036000 16 15 1157083-011506 38  +140 04
    96080 96 580A   0433 F 20090426204345000 16 15 1309368+101913 38  +153 07
    96080 96 580A   0433 F 20090426204037000 16 35 1306467+104770 38  +150 20
    96080 96 580A   0433 F 20090426204636000 16 15 1312290+100949 39  +109 32
    96091 96 591A   0433 F 20090426210214500 16 15 1350341-014035 28  +115 01
    96091 96 591A   0433 F 20090426210836000 16 15 1356560-015729 28  +113 02
    96091 96 591A   0433 F 20090426210511000 16 15 1353309-014826 28  +112 01
    96093 96 593A   0433 F 20090426211511000 16 15 1518157-061033 38
    96093 96 593A   0433 F 20090426211636000 16 15 1519433-061116 38  +135 06
    96093 96 593A   0433 F 20090426211042000 16 15 1513388-060805 28  +141 08
    
    Strays seen: (Measured manually)
    --------------------------------------------
    SL-8 R/B steady
    23466 95 002D   0433 F 20090426170152300 56 15 1035472+050930 39  +035 05
    LANDSAT 1 steady
    06126 72 058A   0433 F 20090426171437500 56 15 1048270+045757 39  +050 05
    SJ-6B steady
    28414 04 035B   0433 F 20090426172937400 56 15 0221283-482348 39  +050 05
    
    Strays measured automatically with APEX-II:
    --------------------------------------------------------
    INTELSAT 512 geostationary
    16101 85 087A   0433 F 20090426192456000 16 15 1106523+163251 38  +126 03
    16101 85 087A   0433 F 20090426192643000 16 15 1108390+162940 38  +125 03
    SL-12 R/B geostationary
    21762 91 074D   0433 F 20090426192643000 16 15 1110082+160634 48  +128 02
    21762 91 074D   0433 F 20090426192331000 16 15 1106558+161241 38  +132 03
    ASTRA 1E geostationary
    23686 95 055A   0433 F 20090426203212000 16 15 1228353+053353 28  +110 01
    23686 95 055A   0433 F 20090426203316000 16 15 1229392+053354 28  +115 02
    SL-12 R/B geostationary
    26583 00 067D   0433 F 20090426172311000 16 35 1054166+051805 39
    26583 00 067D   0433 F 20090426172142000 16 15 1053174+051618 39  +125 09
    INTELSAT 12 geostationary
    26590 00 068A   0433 F 20090426172512000 16 15 1058338+052619 28  +123 01
    26590 00 068A   0433 F 20090426170029000 16 15 1033472+052613 18  +125 01
    26590 00 068A   0433 F 20090426170758500 16 15 1041183+052615 18  +125 01
    
    Notes:
    -------
    (1) Still developing the "new" system and exploring the capabilities of
    the automatic measuring program APEX-II. Consequently two satellites were
    measured using my manual way and the automatic way. At this stage I am not
    sure how reliable APEX-II is in detecting the middle of a trail of
    reasonable length that has large variations in magnitude and also how faint
    a trail it can detect. #28385 had almost(?) regular variations in magnitude
    whilst USA40r (#20344) was quite faint.
    
    (2) Looks like my winter season has started early with long spells of
    cloudy weather....
    
    Cheers
    Greg
    
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