Observations 25 Feb 2009 Part 1
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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 comparable to the MINTRON ( much better) but as its not
possible (?) to time stamp to better than 1 second accuracy the
time resolution is not good enough for LEO objects.
Meade DSI Pro II Monochrome CCD camera without filters.
using integration times of 20 sec min to 60 seconds maximum
depending on brightness of sky in particular area.No image
processing done.
Used with 6 inch f/5 CELESTRON reflector modified to f/2.7 with home
made corrector lens.Field of view 55 by 40 arc minutes and showing
15th magnitude stars in real time.
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:
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90082 08 731A 0433 P 20090225193412000 56 15 0157058-114039 39 +080 05
96031 96 531A 0433 P 20090225213424000 56 15 0609040+113412 39 +120 05
96031 96 531A 0433 P 20090225213736000 56 15 0612234+112837 39 +120 05
26880 01 033A 0433 P 20090225210802000 56 15 1237375+090228 39 +110 05
26880 01 033A 0433 P 20090225211230000 56 15 1242057+090017 39 +110 05
26880 01 033A 0433 P 20090225215715000 56 15 1327010+083433 39 +110 05
26880 01 033A 0433 P 20090225215842000 56 15 1328295+083321 39 +110 05
05204 71 039A 0433 P 20090225202115000 56 15 1125028+004807 39 +100 05
05204 71 039A 0433 P 20090225202347000 56 15 1127323+004125 39 +100 05
05851 72 010A 0433 P 20090225202441000 56 15 1205528+001227 39 +105 05
05851 72 010A 0433 P 20090225202712000 56 15 1208228+000439 39 +105 05
32287 07 054A 0433 P 20090225200112000 56 15 0813361+033757 39 +100 05
32287 07 054A 0433 P 20090225200424000 56 15 0816484+033543 39 +100 05
04376 70 032A 0433 P 20090225191708000 56 15 0531109+145908 39 +105 05
04376 70 032A 0433 P 20090225192105000 56 15 0535102+145235 39 +105 05
23223 94 054A 0433 P 20090225212537000 56 15 0537300+072904 39 +105 05
23223 94 054A 0433 P 20090225212719000 56 15 0539119+073137 39 +105 05
29249 06 027A 0433 P 20090225195150000 56 15 0519570+282342 39 +095 05
29249 06 027A 0433 P 20090225195411000 56 15 0523417+263615 39 +090 05
29249 06 027A 0433 P 20090225195456000 56 15 0524566+255904 39 +090 05
29249 06 027A 0433 P 20090225195634000 56 15 0527446+243456 39 +085 05
25501 98 058A 0433 P 20090225202912000 56 15 1133314+074033 39 +115 05
25501 98 058A 0433 P 20090225203143000 56 15 1135586+073910 39 +115 05
25967 99 063A 0433 P 20090225200929000 56 15 1148030+064706 39 +105 05
25967 99 063A 0433 P 20090225201144000 56 15 1150177+064617 39 +105 05
23967 96 042A 0433 P 20090225212923000 56 15 0604475+083450 39 +110 05
23967 96 042A 0433 P 20090225213105000 56 15 0606308+083601 39 +110 05
28385 04 034B 0433 P 20090225190440000 56 15 0709019-092128 39 +090 05
28385 04 034B 0433 P 20090225190838000 56 15 0714371-114005 39 +090 05
28385 04 034B 0433 P 20090225191216000 56 15 0720044-135043 39 +085 05
32288 07 054B 0433 P 20090225185952000 56 15 0311139+065208 39 +115 05
32288 07 054B 0433 P 20090225190304000 56 15 0314257+064938 39 +115 05
33490 09 001A 0433 P 20090225180145000 56 15 1001312+055309 39 +075 05
33490 09 001A 0433 P 20090225180831000 56 15 1008181+054753 39 +075 05
33490 09 001A 0433 P 20090225214832000 56 15 1349340+030324 39 +070 05
33490 09 001A 0433 P 20090225215135000 56 15 1352372+030146 39 +070 05
14675 84 009A 0433 P 20090225192321000 56 15 0523149+131715 39 +085 05
14675 84 009A 0433 P 20090225192633000 56 15 0525505+131721 39 +085 05
Strays seen:
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ELEKTRO (GOMS) geostationary steady
23327 94 069A 0433 P 20090225203702000 56 15 1157439+145051 39 +120 05
THOR 1(MARCO POLO) Geostationary steady
20762 90 074A 0433 P 20090225204317000 56 15 1213404+121032 39 +120 05
COSMOS 2350 geostationary
25315 98 025A 0433 P 20090225204317000 56 15 1215129+120707 39 +125 05
ATLAS CENTAUR ROCKET, steady, range 37850 kms
07545 74 093B 0433 P 20090225205830000 56 15 1229393+093246 39 +100 05
GORIZONT 30 geostationary, regular flashing
23108 94 030A 0433 P 20090225185129000 56 15 0253301+045024 39 +100 05
SL-12 R/B geostationary
26895 01 037D 0433 P 20090225182841000 56 15 0949229+094746 39 +115 05
GLOBALSTAR M070
32264 07 048B 0433 P 20090225195720000 56 15 0529065+245850 39 +075 05
INTELSAT 4 geostationary
23636 95 040A 0433 P 20090225201747000 56 15 1153281+050958 39 +115 05
Notes:
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(1) Observing conditions rather poor due to putrid transparency. This is
the result of forest fires etc in the nearby mountains that have been
burning now for over three weeks. Some nights the smoke is so thick
its only possible to see the brightest stars so tracking is
impossible.
(2) INTELSAT 3-F7 puzzles me. The first time I observed it it was very
easy. The next two observing sessions I tried I could detect no
sign of it. Last night it was very easy again. The element set is
100% and Ive generally been observing around the same phase angle.
Maybe the satellite is very slowly changing its attitude and presents
minimum surface area for extended periods and is fainter than
magnitude 15-16?
(3) DSP-F21 is another satellite that I failed to see on several nights
so yesterday I set up my radio equipment and did a check on all the
visible DSP's and confirmed that DSP-F21 was still very much alive
and at the predicted location ( ie in the dish beamwidth ) when aimed
at correct azimuth/elevation. So last night I did a search for it and
found it somewhat east of the predicted position.
(4) I will probably check the video DVD recording tomorrow and report the
satellites observed with that system.
Cheers
Greg
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