Acceleration report 2 Feb 1997

Kurt Jonckheere (kjonckheere@unicall.be)
Sun, 2 Feb 1997 20:54:20 +0100

The following objects are accelerating and should be observed regularly ! :
87- 49 B 18096/C1 Kosmos 1850r
87- 60 A 18187/Cosmos 1867     (added)
88- 53 B 19257/C1 Kosmos 1954r
91-  7 B 21090/C1 Kosmos 2123r
92-  8 B 21876/C1 Kosmos 2180 rocket 
************************************

Observers are Kurt Jonckheere, Willy Verhaegen, Leo Barhorst, Walter
Nissen, Vince Gardiner, Ron Lee, Mike McCants, Tristan Cools, 
Bjoern Gimle

         date     time (UT)  obs               Period remarks
87- 49 B 96-11-15 04:46:07   LB  125.3 0.5   6 20.9   AA, mag 4->inv
87- 49 B 97-01-07 09:40      VAG 108.2 1.0   5 21.6   AA mag4->inv
87- 49 B 97-01-14 17:12:56   LB  164.0 0.5  10 16.40  AA, mag 4->inv
87- 49 B 97-01-27 04:41:16   LB   74.6 0.5   6 12.4   AA, mag 5->inv

87- 60 A 96-06-09 23:15      TC   47.1 1     6  7.8   very sa, dtm,mag max+2.5
87- 60 A 96-06-14 22:22      KJ   77.6 0.5  10  7.8   later S
87- 60 A 96-06-15 21:53      TC   58.9 0.5   8  7.4   sa, mag +4, u
87- 60 A 96-08-18 21:15      TC  102.2 0.4  14  7.30  AA, mag +4
87- 60 A 96-08-19 03:50      MM   74.1 1.0   5 14.9   4.5-inv, sm
87- 60 A 96-08-20 03:19      MM  103.1 1.0   7 14.7   3.5-inv, sm
87- 60 A 96-08-23 20:28:36.2 BJG 132.0 0.5  18  7.33  Multiple max,multiple min
87- 60 A 96-09-19 18:44      LB                       S, mag 4
87- 60 A 96-10-13 08:50:26.0 VAG  13.6 1.0   1 13.6   AaA mag4->5.5
87- 60 A 96-11-15 05:07:55   LB   65.3 0.5  10  6.5   AA, mag 4->inv
87- 60 A 97-01-07 09:48      VAG  95.7 1.0  15  6.4   FF mag3->4
87- 60 A 97-01-31 04:46:37   LB   59.8 0.2  10  5.98  AA, mag 5->inv
This Cosmos payload started flashing about a year ago, and its period
is still going down.  Sometimes it is Steady.  Does somebody has more 
information about the state of this payload ?

88- 53 B 96-09-11 08:43:10.0 VAG  84.3 1.0   4 21.1   mag4->inv
88- 53 B 96-11-21 18:43      WV                       S? clouds
88- 53 B 96-11-23 17:37      WV                       LP +5/+7
88- 53 B 97-01-07 10:01      VAG 154.6 1.0   4 38.7   AA mag4->inv
88- 53 B 97-01-08 17:25:53   LB   70.5 0.5   2 35.3   MM, mag 5->inv
88- 53 B 97-01-27 04:53:27   LB  116.4 0.5   4 29.1   AA, mag 5->inv
88- 53 B 97-01-31 04:20:53   LB  119.5 0.5   4 29.9   AA, 4->inv, ssm, 5
acceleration halted?

91-  7 B 97-01-14 05:08:33   LB  145.7 0.5   4 36.4   AA, mag 4->inv
91-  7 B 97-01-14 18:44:39   LB  332.7 0.5  10 33.27  AA, mag 4->6
91-  7 B 97-01-15 17:24:10   LB  133.4 0.5   4 33.4   AA, mag 6->inv
91-  7 B 97-01-16 04:12:48   LB  139.5 0.5   4 34.9   AA, mag 5->inv
91-  7 B 97-01-16 06:01:24   LB  172.5 0.5   5 34.5   AA, mag 4->inv
91-  7 B 97-01-16 17:52:02   LB  130.1 0.5   4 32.5   AA, mag 4->inv
91-  7 B 97-01-16 19:36:59   LB   72.2 0.5   2 36.1   AA, mag 5->inv
91-  7 B 97-01-17 04:41:28   LB  206.7 0.5   6 34.4   AA, mag 5->inv
91-  7 B 97-01-27 17:27      KJ  159.5 1.0   8 19.9
91-  7 B 97-01-30 01:17      RGL 198.1 1    10 19.81    
Still accelerating !

92-  8 B 96-11-06 18:10      KJ  155.4 1.5   8 19.4   FF, 4->inv, later MM
92-  8 B 96-11-06 18:11      WV  159.4 0.5   8 19.9
92-  8 B 96-11-15 17:04      KJ  179.0 0.4  14 12.79
92-  8 B 96-11-15 17:04      WV  127.9 0.3  10 12.79
92-  8 B 97-01-25 20:16:27   LB  126.4 0.2  22  5.75  FF, mag 4->inv
92-  8 B 97-01-27 17:42      KJ  244.9 0.3  44  5.57
92-  8 B 97-01-27 19:26:23.1 KJ  121.4 0.3  22  5.52  syn effect
92-  8 B 97-01-27 19:28:20.0 KJ  122.1 0.3  22  5.55  syn effect
92-  8 B 97-01-29  1:13:16.3 WN   65.6 0.5  12  5.46  FF, C* 2180 r
92-  8 B 97-01-30 01:40.8    RGL 264.6 1    50  5.29
92-  8 B 97-02-02 03:03      RGL 248.6 1.0  50  4.97       
Still accelerating !  Also the Mean Motion is still changing.

-------
You can use the following elements (courtesy Ted Molczan and OIG) :

Cosmos 1850 r    7.4  2.4  0.0  5.5 v
1 18096U 87049  B 97 29.90776989  .00000000  00000-0  78733-7 0  5782
2 18096  74.0385 185.0496 0022815  20.5094 339.6968 14.33208283504225
Cosmos 1867      6.0  2.0  0.0  5.3 v
1 18187U 87060  A 97 30.13676816  .00000006  00000-0  22166-5 0  4671
2 18187  65.0046 166.5258 0020342 270.9587  88.9178 14.30117363499181
Cosmos 1954 r    7.4  2.4  0.0  5.5 v
1 19257U 88053  B 97 29.91389882  .00000072  00000-0  25643-4 0  4676
2 19257  74.0472 187.4000 0020920 124.2875 236.0259 14.33810954450376
21090
1 21090U 91007B   97032.44441093  .00001544  00000-0  15863-2 0   876
2 21090  82.9224  15.5734 0022426 311.3595  48.5640 13.75521036300721
21876
1 21876U 92008B   97031.13267080 +.00000487 +00000-0 +49685-3 0 08023
2 21876 082.9253 244.7381 0034207 276.8955 082.8310 13.74545242248500

Thanks to all observers.

All observations are very much appreciated.

Happy observing !

Kurt J
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Kurt Jonckheere (kjonckheere@unicall.be)  51.2 N  2.9 E   
    observations collector for the Belgian Working Group Satellites: 
Send your observations of flashing satellites, preferrably in the correct
     PPAS format to ppas@cds.plasma.mpe-garching.mpg.de
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