Optical 09 June 2010

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Thu Jun 10 2010 - 14:22:51 UTC

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    Observations 09 JUNE 2010
    ----------------------------
    
    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 80MM focal length f/2.8 Nikkon telephoto lens.
    Image scale is 20.393 arc sec/pixel and field of view 264 x 192
    arc minutes.( 4.39 x 3.21 degrees). Shows 13th magnitude stars
    with about 5-7 second exposure. Maximum exposure is ~35 sec because
    of city lit sky, decreasing to 15 seconds at elevations of 20
    degrees or less.
    
    Exposure time is recorded in the FITS header and is derived from
    the PC clock which is accurate to within about 1 second.
    
    Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude -33.94058 deg,
    Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa
    
    FOR CLASSIFIED.TLE:
    ======================
    25337 98 029B   0433 F 20100609190636500 16 15 1414099+012756 58  +101 02
    25337 98 029B   0433 F 20100609190216500 16 15 1409563+013931 48
    25337 98 029B   0433 F 20100609190347500 16 15 1411188+013420 48
    25337 98 029B   0433 F 20100609190505500 16 15 1412329+013342 78
    VORTEX 6
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609184937500 16 15 1417113+034636 48
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609185139500 16 15 1419397+034223 48
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609185615500 16 15 1425188+033257 38
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609185726500 16 15 1426462+033030 38  +102 01
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609185337500 16 15 1422053+033823 68
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609190050500 16 15 1430564+032336 58
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609202311000 16 15 1613361+005048 78  +097 04
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609202448500 16 15 1615398+004754 48  +099 01
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609202734500 16 15 1619082+004334 38  +095 01
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609202856500 16 15 1620510+004127 58  +104 01
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609202951500 16 15 1622001+004001 58  +103 01
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20100609203055500 16 15 1623209+003822 38
    
    STRAYS SEEN:
    ==============
    ARIANE 42L R/B range 19090 kms steady
    25586 98 075B   0433 F 20100609191042500 16 15 1406531+010245 58  +104 01
    25586 98 075B   0433 F 20100609191146500 16 15 1408404+010530 38  +102 01
    SL-6 R/B  range 8230 kms
    09850 77 010E   0433 F 20100609191146500 16 15 1403483+020737 19  +133 07
    INTELSAT 802
    24846 97 031A   0433 F 20100609185726500 16 15 1428549+052801 38
    24846 97 031A   0433 F 20100609195432500 16 15 1526089+052713 68
    24846 97 031A   0433 F 20100609200412500 16 15 1535499+052700 68
    24846 97 031A   0433 F 20100609201420000 16 15 1545587+052651 48  +117 06
    EUTELSAT W7
    36101 09 065A   0433 F 20100609201420000 16 15 1559520+052036 48  +097 05
    EUTELSAT W4
    26369 00 028A   0433 F 20100609201420000 16 15 1600362+052205 48  +114 05
    ASTRA 2C
    26853 01 025A   0433 F 20100609185615500 16 15 1421267+052917 38
    26853 01 025A   0433 F 20100609185726500 16 15 1422385+052911 48  +126 03
    26853 01 025A   0433 F 20100609195432500 16 15 1519536+052825 68
    26853 01 025A   0433 F 20100609200412500 16 15 1529342+052811 78
    INMARSAT 4F2
    28899 95 044A   0433 F 20100609190636500 16 15 1402219+031140 38
    28899 95 044A   0433 F 20100609191042500 16 15 1406298+031035 48  +114 01
    28899 95 044A   0433 F 20100609191146500 16 15 1407330+031018 28  +112 03
    GALAXY 11
    26038 99 071A   0433 F 20100609185615500 16 15 1427440+052800 48
    26038 99 071A   0433 F 20100609185726500 16 15 1428193+052923 38  +097 01
    26038 99 071A   0433 F 20100609195432500 16 15 1525349+052856 68
    26038 99 071A   0433 F 20100609200412500 16 15 1535162+052851 68
    26038 99 071A   0433 F 20100609201420000 16 15 1545238+052649 48  +060 00
    
    NOTES:
    =======
    
    (1) Main purpose was to find VORTEX 6 which has been lost for several
        weeks as a result of an orbit re-boost. Whenever the mean motion
        becomes greater than about 1.0031  - 1.0032 revs/day the old 1989
        satellite does a burn to change the mean motion to about 1.0022
        revs/day - this seems to occur roughly every 200 days.
    
    (2) Still a LOT to measure as I took over 80 images along the eastern
        half of the Clarke belt ( dec about +5.3 degrees for me) to an
        approximate declination of zero degrees. LOTS of satellites seen ..
    
    Cheers
    Greg
    
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