Optical 28 March 2009

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Sun Mar 29 2009 - 10:06:17 UTC

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    Observations 28 March 2009
    ----------------------------------------
    
    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 ( possibly 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.
    
    (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 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 6 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 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:
    ----------------------------
    
    26880 01 033A   0433 G 20090328175630000 56 15 1124338+092735 39  +120 05
    26880 01 033A   0433 G 20090328175907000 56 15 1127114+092720 39  +120 05
    32287 07 054A   0433 G 20090328174604000 56 15 0836341+032619 39  +125 05
    32287 07 054A   0433 G 20090328174939000 56 15 0840100+032407 39  +125 05
    23855 96 026A   0433 G 20090328180513000 56 15 0701176+140920 39  +105 05
    23855 96 026A   0433 G 20090328180752000 56 15 0703598+140919 39  +105 05
    23223 94 054A   0433 G 20090328181039000 56 15 0424076+054247 39  +110 05
    23223 94 054A   0433 G 20090328181318000 56 15 0426446+054700 39  +110 05
    23223 94 054A   0433 G 20090328181159000 56 15 0425265+054457 39  +110 05
    29242 06 024C   0433 G 20090328182238000 56 15 0842501+073806 39  +135 05
    29242 06 024C   0433 G 20090328182357000 56 15 0844134+073829 39  +130 05
    29242 06 024C   0433 G 20090328182516000 56 15 0845352+073911 39  +120 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090328172320000 56 15 0926564+063140 39  +075 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090328173001000 56 15 0933392+062633 39  +075 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090328174049000 56 15 0944306+061802 39  +075 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090328174424000 56 15 0948056+061516 39  +075 05
    14675 84 009A   0433 G 20090328180105000 56 15 0556295+131327 39  +120 05
    14675 84 009A   0433 G 20090328180343000 56 15 0558368+131245 39  +120 05
    19976 89 035A   0433 G 20090328181758000 56 15 0852505+110743 39  +105 05
    19976 89 035A   0433 G 20090328182136000 56 15 0856246+110523 39  +105 05
    
    
    Cheers
    Greg
    
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