Optical 11 August 2009

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Wed Aug 12 2009 - 08:07:29 UTC

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    Observations 11 AUG 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.
    
    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 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. 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 CLASSFD.TLE:
    ---------------------------
    
    22519 92 086C   0433 G 20090811173005500 16 15 1316567-713914 28  +091 01
    22519 92 086C   0433 G 20090811173239000 16 15 1419275-722313 29  +116 08
    22519 92 086C   0433 G 20090811173511000 16 15 1525135-715500 59  +128 28
    22519 92 086C   0433 G 20090811173740000 16 15 1625537-701313 59  +111 24
    22519 92 086C   0433 G 20090811174100000 16 15 1734089-661005 19  +124 51
    25336 98 029A   0433 G 20090811180413500 56 15 1822442-032549 39  +080 05
    27691 03 008A   0433 G 20090811171014000 16 15 1850356+051722 38  +129 01
    27691 03 008A   0433 G 20090811171648000 16 15 1857113+051723 97  +127 01
    27691 03 008A   0433 G 20090811172120000 16 15 1901428+051724 18  +128 01
    29242 06 024C   0433 G 20090811175714000 16 15 1933112+035249 28  +120 01
    29242 06 024C   0433 G 20090811175955000 16 15 1935594+035104 28  +128 01
    29242 06 024C   0433 G 20090811180103000 16 15 1937107+035020 28  +137 03
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090811170024000 16 15 1731286+021556 28  +092 01
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090811170416000 16 15 1735205+021617 18  +088 01
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090811170645000 16 15 1737500+021631 38  +087 00
    
    Strays seen:
    ---------------
    THURAYA 2 27825 03026A
    27825 03 026A   0433 G 20090811170024000 16 35 1731449+022370 28  +106 22
    27825 03 026A   0433 G 20090811170645000 16 15 1737492+021440 38  +106 00
    INTELSAT 904 27380 02007A
    27380 02 007A   0433 G 20090811170814000 16 15 1850021+051528 38  +123 04
    27380 02 007A   0433 G 20090811171937000 16 15 1901265+051518 28  +122 02
    SL-12 R/B(2) 33111 08033D
    33111 08 033D   0433 G 20090811171937000 16 15 1858567+050106 28  +117 07
    33111 08 033D   0433 G 20090811172120000 16 15 1900400+050146 18  +118 05
    
    
    Notes:
    ------
    (1) Short session - stopped by cloud then rain. Turned out to be a brief
        shower after which it cleared but by then I had taken everything
        down to get it out the rain. Too lazy to start again...
    
    (2) USA202 still sitting next to Thuraya 2 and evesdropping.
    
    (3) WGS-F2 ( #34713) not seen at predicted position so appears to have
        stopped drifting and was probably a bit more west of predicted
        position-intended to return later to search for it but prevented
        by weather and laziness.
    
    (4) All processing done by APEX apart from MENTOR 2- #25336 - which I
        did through thick cloud so insufficient stars for APEX to be able
        to process so done manually.
    
    (5) Seeing 12 arc seconds.
    
    Cheers
    Greg
    
    
    
    
    
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