Optical 23 Jan 2015 Part 2

Observations 23 JAN 2015 Part 2
-------------------------------------

Cosatrak 1 (Computerised satellite Tracking System).

FLI ML8300M CCD camera with mechanical shutter + Trimble GPS

Used with 102mm aperture f/5 SKYWATCHER refractor.
Field of view 123 x 93 arc minutes.
Image scale 6.72 arc sec/pixel.
Images processed and measured with APEX.

Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude -33.94058 deg,
Elevation 10 metres - situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa

FOR CLASSIFIED.TLE:
----------------------------
04510 70 069A   0433 F 20150123210625106 16 15 0327369+131518 28 +145 06
04510 70 069A   0433 F 20150123210715641 16 15 0328201+131236 18 +150 05
27786 69 036B   0433 F 20150123212608184 16 15 0748564+112437 97 +120 01
27786 69 036B   0433 F 20150123212635640 16 15 0749265+112534 97 +120 01
27786 69 036B   0433 F 20150123212658962 16 15 0749522+112620 28 +120 01
27786 69 036B   0433 F 20150123212808392 16 15 0751083+112841 18 +120 01
23855 96 026A   0433 F 20150123191824837 16 15 0623585+154222 18 +104 00
23855 96 026A   0433 F 20150123191855212 16 15 0624276+154229 18 +105 00
23855 96 026A   0433 F 20150123191926220 16 15 0624574+154236 87 +106 01
23855 96 026A   0433 F 20150123192010240 16 15 0625393+154245 18 +107 01



UNKNOWN 1:
----------------
99998 99 998A   0433 F 20150123212705962 16 15 0755194+111111 28 +110 05
99998 99 998A   0433 F 20150123212801392 16 15 0755541+110949 28 +110 05
99998 99 998A   0433 F 20150123212815392 16 15 0756033+110912 29 +110 05

UNKNOWN 2:
--------------------
99999 99 999A   0433 F 20150123191926220 16 15 0628343+160849 87 +093 01
99999 99 999A   0433 F 20150123192010240 16 15 0629108+160621 28 +092 01


STRAYS SEEN:
-------------------------
40258 14 058A   0433 F 20150123214135919 16 15 0942186+052518 38 +125 04


NOTES:
-----------
(1) UNKNOWN 1 - Steady, no match to anything in my database ( full 
SPACETRACK
       catalog + CLASSIFIED.TLE + INT.TLE + ISON )

(2) UNKNOWN 2 - Steady, no match to anything in my database. Quite a lot
     brighter than nearby MERCURY 2.

Sorry not longer arcs - only found when measuring as near edge of field.

(3) 04510 -very faint - not positively seen in two of 4 images taken
     - variable.

(4) My attempt to add a 0.7x focal reducer failed for some as yet unknown
     reason. I had a 52mm diameter lens in holder marked 0.7x in my
     "junk-box" ( convex one side and concave the other) from a photo-
     copier machine (?).  I inserted it in the  optical path approx 1 inch
     in front of the CCD chip surface. Focus turned out to be about the
     same as before and the field of view UNALTERED! Image quality
     better (?) and vignetting not so pronounced (?) but do not understand
     why the focal length has not changed (well maybe 2 millimetres or so
     but this is just probably due to seeing conditions etc affecting the
     focal length.)

     I am puzzled :-)))

Cheers
Greg

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