Optical 08 Feb 2011

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Wed Feb 09 2011 - 13:08:55 UTC

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    Observations 08 FEB 2011
    ----------------------------
    
    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. Time resolution is not good enough for
    LEO objects.
    
    (1) 145mm focal length f/2.5 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.
    Image integrated for variable time up to max of 2.56 seconds but
    exposure depends on sky background brightness. Field of view
    2.5 x 1.9 degrees and showing about mag +12 stars in "real time".
    Used as a finder for the 4 inch reflector.
    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 auto reduction
    software
    Used with 4 inch SKYWATCHER refractor- model 1025 - fitted with home
    made focal reducur 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 14th
    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:
    =======================
    DSP-F18
    24737 97 008A   0433 F 20110208210222500 16 15 0738049+141013 28  +124 03
    24737 97 008A   0433 F 20110208210350500 16 15 0739335+141219 38
    24737 97 008A   0433 F 20110208210524500 16 15 0741086+141433 28
    MENTOR-R
    25337 98 029B   0433 F 20110208191530000 16 15 0433109+150751 28
    25337 98 029B   0433 F 20110208191726000 16 15 0435085+151035 18
    25337 98 029B   0433 F 20110208192020000 16 15 0438061+151438 28
    AEHF 1
    36868 10 039A   0433 F 20110208192457500 56 15 0505286+143948 39  +075 05
    36868 10 039A   0433 F 20110208192901000 16 15 0517104+142628 48
    36868 10 039A   0433 F 20110208193029000 16 15 0521274+142116 38
    36868 10 039A   0433 F 20110208193153000 16 15 0525383+141607 48
    36868 10 039A   0433 F 20110208193316000 16 15 0529539+141042 19
    36868 10 039A   0433 F 20110208204637500 16 15 1028172+044300 28
    36868 10 039A   0433 F 20110208204819500 16 15 1035529+042736 38
    36868 10 039A   0433 F 20110208204938500 16 15 1041420+041601 68
    36868 10 039A   0433 F 20110208205043500 16 15 1046289+040632 38
    90020  regular flashes to about mag +7
    90020 04 539A   0433 F 20110208195552500 16 15 0602570+122226 38
    90020 04 539A   0433 F 20110208195756500 16 15 0605486+133752 38
    90020 04 539A   0433 F 20110208195957500 16 15 0608270+144741 78  +133 04
    90020 94 539A   0433 F 20110208200157500 16 15 0610527+155340 58
    90004  regular flashes to about mag +7
    90004 99 750A   0433 F 20110208222027500 16 15 1105361-242544 28  +121 03
    90004 99 750A   0433 F 20110208222214000 16 15 1110339-190515 38
    90004 99 750A   0433 F 20110208222416000 16 15 1115206-135836 38
    90004 99 750A   0433 F 20110208222610000 16 15 1119162-094752 38
    90004 99 750A   0433 F 20110208222812000 16 15 1123032-055117 88  +134 11
    OFEQ 5 variable
    27434 02 025A   0433 F 20110208194310300 56 15 0337352+304427 39  +085 05
    27434 02 025A   0433 F 20110208194311300 56 15 0336232+303350 39  +080 05
    27434 02 025A   0433 F 20110208194311600 56 15 0335428+302922 39  +080 05
    SAR Lupe 2 variable
    31797 07 030A   0433 F 20110208194847600 56 15 0325269+084413 39  +080 05
    31797 07 030A   0433 F 20110208194859200 56 15 0314048+034929 39  +065 05
    31797 07 030A   0433 F 20110208194910300 56 15 0302504-005954 39  +060 05
    31797 07 030A   0433 F 20110208194922700 56 15 0249224-063625 39  +065 05
    31797 07 030A   0433 F 20110208194935300 56 15 0234324-122910 39  +065 05
    31797 07 030A   0433 F 20110208195010200 56 15 0149121-273525 39  +075 05
    NOSS 3-4R variable
    31702 07 027B   0433 F 20110208200515900 56 15 1805397-782425 39  +035 05
    31702 07 027B   0433 F 20110208200602000 56 15 1443260-784834 39  +045 05
    31702 07 027B   0433 F 20110208200704100 56 15 1203004-662909 39  +030 05
    NOSS 3-4(A) steady
    31701 07 027A   0433 F 20110208201204500 56 15 0106564-101914 39  +060 05
    31701 07 027A   0433 F 20110208201254800 56 15 0103351-163130 39  +055 05
    31701 07 027A   0433 F 20110208201404000 56 15 0055471-255816 39  +050 05
    NOSS 3-4(C) steady
    31708 07 027C   0433 F 20110208201204500 56 15 0108139-092909 39  +060 05
    31708 07 027C   0433 F 20110208201254800 56 15 0105068-153647 39  +055 05
    31708 07 027C   0433 F 20110208201404000 56 15 0057429-245955 39  +050 05
    
    STRAYS SEEN:
    ===================
    ARIANE 44 LP DEBRI
    25279 89 062E   0433 F 20110208205602500 16 15 0740173+150820 28
    ISS big!
    25544 98 067A   0433 F 20110208183128900 56 15 0307479+161942 39  -030 05
    COSMOS 2195 steady
    22006 92 036A   0433 F 20110208185234500 56 15 0513168+140624 39  +055 05
    MOLNIYA 3-10 variable  range 9350 km
    11057 78 095A   0433 F 20110208190534000 56 15 0536218+154704 39  +080 05
    COURIER 1B  variable
    00058 60 013A   0433 F 20110208190910400 56 15 0535360+132120 39  +080 05
    COSMOS 2237 steady
    22565 93 016A   0433 F 20110208190943600 56 15 0542446+122948 39  +040 05
    SL-8 R/B steady
    06826 73 064B   0433 F 20110208192106400 56 15 0442018+153954 39  +070 05
    GALEX steady
    27783 03 017A   0433 F 20110208193058800 56 15 0523034+145414 39  +045 05
    SL-14 R/B steady
    22627 93 024B   0433 F 20110208193227000 56 15 0525280+140418 39  +030 05
    COSMOS 2004 steady
    19826 89 017A   0433 F 20110208193421900 56 15 0526283+141335 39  +065 05
    COSMOS 1633 variable
    15592 85 020A   0433 F 20110208193842200 56 15 0339439+310632 39  +040 05
    SL-8 R/B steady
    11511 79 078B   0433 F 20110208194113000 56 15 0336504+311542 39  +035 05
    ATLAS 2AS CENTAUR R/B
    26072 00 007B   0433 F 20110208194704200 56 15 0325022+103706 39  +055 05
    GLOBULSTAR M070 steady
    32264 07 048B   0433 F 20110208200205800 56 15 0615002+154505 39  +035 05
    BREEZE-M R/B range 12630 km
    28869 05 036B   0433 F 20110208200307300 56 15 0608239+155100 39  +075 05
    SJ-12
    36596 10 027A   0433 F 20110208201636800 56 15 0112435-063005 39  +070 05
    SL-14 R/B steady
    24731 97 006G   0433 F 20110208204021000 56 15 0020061-544346 39  +060 05
    
    NOTES:
    -------
    (1) Purpose of observing session to get AEHF1 and OFEQ and SAR LUPE
        satellites currently visible at my location at a reasonable time.
    
    (2) OFEQ 5 - not a good pass- brief gap in buildings at max elevation
        16 degrees. Large variation in magnitude from invisible and was
        starting to brighten as it left my field of view. Doubt if this
        satellite is operational.
    
    (3) SAR LUPE 5 - some variation in magnitude but on a relatively long
        time scale so probably still operational.
    
    (4) ISS seen by accident - quite a large image on the screen. With a
        shorter exposure should be able to see some detail.
    
    (5) Did a plane scan for 80-19D but not seen - start of evening
        visibility so will try again when better conditions.
    
    Cheers
    Greg 
    
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