Observations 03 Mar 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. 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) 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.)
Used with 135mm focal length f/2.5 lens,integrating for 128 fields
which is equivalent to a max exposure of 2.56 seconds maximum
per image, but dependent on sky brightness. Field of view
2.4 x 1.8 degrees.
Individual frames are video time stamped with GPS derived signal.
Images processed and measured manually.
Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude -33.94058 deg,
Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa
FOR CLASSFD.TLE:
==================
OFEQ 9 steady
36608 10 031A 0433 F 20110303180837600 56 15 1217356-305447 39 +035 05
36608 10 031A 0433 F 20110303180928700 56 15 1208029-453705 39 +030 05
36608 10 031A 0433 F 20110303181005100 56 15 1143119-623551 39 +030 05
36608 10 031A 0433 F 20110303181040700 56 15 0955310-845534 39 +035 05
STPSAT 2R steady
37228 10 062G 0433 F 20110303181900200 56 15 0819096+281654 39 +040 05
37228 10 062G 0433 F 20110303181935600 56 15 0841085+203638 39 +037 05
37228 10 062G 0433 F 20110303182012700 56 15 0907390+104523 39 +035 05
37228 10 062G 0433 F 20110303182101600 56 15 0948123-042106 39 +030 05
RISAT -2 steady
34807 09 019A 0433 F 20110303183154900 56 15 2350524-472748 39 +075 05
34807 09 019A 0433 F 20110303183256000 56 15 2336476-644854 39 +070 05
34807 09 019A 0433 F 20110303183356800 56 15 1941159-844725 39 +065 05
34807 09 019A 0433 F 20110303183456900 56 15 1319277-671921 39 +065 05
NOSS 2-2(C) steady
21799 91 076C 0433 F 20110303185156300 56 15 0250329-053917 39 +075 05
21799 91 076C 0433 F 20110303185436000 56 15 0253387-301926 39 +070 05
21799 91 076C 0433 F 20110303185601800 56 15 0249494-464801 39 +065 05
NOSS 2-2(D) steady
21808 91 076D 0433 F 20110303185209800 56 15 0252367-051642 39 +080 05
21808 91 076D 0433 F 20110303185451400 56 15 0256094-302126 39 +070 05
21808 91 076D 0433 F 20110303185614100 56 15 0253073-462058 39 +070 05
USA 129 steady
24680 96 072A 0433 F 20110303191750300 56 15 1523527-522036 39 +065 05
24680 96 072A 0433 F 20110303191826200 56 15 1455425-515808 39 +050 05
24680 96 072A 0433 F 20110303191852500 56 15 1432495-511424 39 +045 05
24680 96 072A 0433 F 20110303191940000 56 15 1348090-483501 39 +065 05
FASTSAT variable
37225 10 062D 0433 F 20110303192222300 56 15 0405220+055257 39
37225 10 062D 0433 F 20110303192316600 56 15 0357593-121938 39
37225 10 062D 0433 F 20110303192420700 56 15 0336335-405657 39
37225 10 062D 0433 F 20110303192512800 56 15 0250301-631318 39
STSS DEMO 2 steady
35938 09 052B 0433 F 20110303192939600 56 15 0327181-024953 39 +075 05
35938 09 052B 0433 F 20110303192949700 56 15 0331562-013543 39 +070 05
STPSAT 2R steady
37228 10 062G 0433 F 20110303195928300 56 15 0245247-135635 39 +055 05
37228 10 062G 0433 F 20110303200003800 56 15 0231571-222907 39 +050 05
37228 10 062G 0433 F 20110303200037000 56 15 0215395-304651 39 +045 05
UNKNOWN:
===================
99994 99 999A 0433 F 20110303180645400 56 15 1211434-305352 39 +035 05
99994 99 999A 0433 F 20110303180651600 56 15 1216202-313858 39 +035 05
99994 99 999A 0433 F 20110303180657900 56 15 1221040-322319 39 +035 05
STRAYS SEEN:
======================
COSMOS 783 steady
08458 75 112A 0433 F 20110303181618900 56 15 0820394+273231 39 +075 05
COSMOS 2158 variable
21729 91 068B 0433 F 20110303181935600 56 15 0843326+192120 39 +075 05
COSMOS 1048 variable
11111 78 105A 0433 F 20110303183540800 56 15 1303331-545729 39 +080 05
GLOBALSTAR M058
25907 99 049A 0433 F 20110303190501800 56 15 0613591+255620 39 +065 05
IRIDIUM 66
25289 98 021E 0433 F 20110303194737800 56 15 0239519-200057 39 +080 05
COSMOS 1109 DEB variable
12909 79 058F 0433 F 20110303200848000 56 15 0136058-385728 39 +080 05
NOTES:
===========
(1) Main purpose was to get observation of OFEQ 9. Like all the other
OFEQ satellites it is a bright easy target low in the east when it
comes out of earths shadow - usually around mag +3.5. As it heads
towards culmination, travelling roughly westwards, it brightens to a
maximum of about mag +3 then starts to fade quite rapidly until
eventually fainter than about magnitude +8 or so. Difficult to see
in the evening when west of the observers location.
(2) The unknown seen is almost certainly one of the dozen objects
launched with 10 062 launch. We currently have orbits for about 7
of them so could this be a "missing" object? Its easy and bright so
should be observable again. A rough calculation -assuming a circular
orbit, is i = 71.87 degrees, RA Asc Node 271.33 deg, height 662 kms,
period 98.01 min, standard magnitude +3.2
(3) STPSAT 2R is an easy object and does not appear to show wide
variations with phase angle.
(4) FASTSAT when located was initially quite faint so I had to track on
the satellite but it brightened quite considerably and showed
magnitude variations so probably variable but relatively small
amplitude
(5) NOSS 2-2 objects tracked - turns out the second "unknown" seen last
time I observed was NOSS 2-2(D) running somewhat "off-predictions"
so hopefully this will correct the situation.
(6) STSS DEMO 2 seen by accident.
(7) Missed several satellites as a result of the CoSaTrak mount "loosing"
a count of approximately 6 degrees in azimuth so I wasnt pointing
where I thought I was :-(((
Cheers
Greg
.
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Mar 04 2011 - 15:00:00 UTC