Hello Greg,
On 10May10 at 0818UT I observed an object corresponding to the
position of TerraSAR X flare to approximately zero magnitude. Is this
likely?
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg Roberts" <grr@telkomsa.net>
To: <seesat-l@satobs.org>
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 10:24 PM
Subject: Optical 08 May 2010
> Observations 08 MAY 2010:
> ----------------------------
>
> Cosatrak 1 (Computerised satellite Tracking System).
> 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 25mm focal length f/1.4 lens,integrating for 128 frames
> which is equivalent to a max exposure of 2.56 seconds per image,
> depending on sky background so exposure varied. Field of view
> 14.6 x 10.8 degrees - LEO sats down to about mag +7?
>
> Second camera 12.5mm focal length at f/1.9 with Meade DSI Pro II
> monochrome CCD camera - exposure 3-4 seconds depending on sky
> background. Field of view 29 x 21.5 degrees - leo sats down to
> about mag +5, depending on sky darkness.
>
> Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude 33.94058 deg S,
> Elevation 10 metres - situated in Pinelands (Cape Town), South Africa
>
> Strays seen:
> ==============
> SL-8 R/B variable
> 27819 03 023B 0433 F 20100508164721800 56 15 1016130+140510 39 +030
05
> TERRA SAR X variable
> 31698 07 026A 0433 F 20100508164822000 56 15 1057560+135454 39 +030
05
> THOR AGENA D R/B steady
> 00727 64 001A 0433 F 20100508164850600 56 15 1021280+183314 39 +025
05
> IRAS steady
> 13777 83 004A 0433 F 20100508164850600 56 15 0955530+170856 39 +045
05
> SL-8 R/B steady
> 19770 89 005B 0433 F 20100508164910000 56 15 1053570+071852 39 +038
05
> CORIOLIS variable
> 27640 03 001A 0433 F 20100508165244000 56 15 0951100+134002 39 +035
05
> SL-3 R/B steady
> 06257 72 085B 0433 F 20100508165258600 56 15 1035270+133425 39 +030
05
> RADARSAT steady
> 23710 95 059A 0433 F 20100508170005000 56 15 0924590+163243 39 +040
05
> SL-8 R/B variable
> 18130 87 054B 0433 F 20100508171052500 56 15 1035100+091257 39 +045
05
> IRIDIUM 61 steady
> 25263 98 018B 0433 F 20100508171822400 56 15 1013160+053749 39 +057
05
> CZ-4B R/B steady
> 28471 04 044B 0433 F 20100508172054900 56 15 1043520+021640 39 +015
05
> PSLV R/B steady
> 26960 01 049D 0433 F 20100508172442700 56 15 1042550-020321 39 +025
05
> SL-14 R/B steady
> 22287 92 094B 0433 F 20100508172627300 56 15 0948320-013255 39 +025
05
> COSMOS 1818 variable
> 17369 87 011A 0433 F 20100508173115700 56 15 0919230+000842 39 +030
05
> ATLAS CENT R variable
> 07545 74 093B 0433 F 20100508173606000 56 15 0925390+142035 39 +035
05
> SL-8 DEB variable
> 16866 86 052D 0433 F 20100508173725400 56 15 0851290-022320 39 +040
05
> COSMOS 1602 steady
> 15331 84 105A 0433 F 20100508173747200 56 15 0812250-000158 39 +040
05
> M-3S2 R/B steady
> 21695 91 062B 0433 F 20100508174447500 56 15 0734250-042007 39 +040
05
> SL-14 R/B variable
> 14373 83 099B 0433 F 20100508174930000 56 15 0634270-015218 39 +050
05
> COSMOS 1305 variable, range 11570 kms, flashing every 11-12 sec
> 12818 81 088A 0433 F 20100508180925200 56 15 0617100+004500 39 +020
05
>
> Notes:
> ========
> (1) Sole purpose of session was to do a plane scan for X37B.
>
> (2) Frequent relatively fast moving cloud last 1/3 of scan of about 70
> minutes but reasonably sure I did not miss any bright satellites.
>
> (3) After the culmination part of the sky the expected satellite
> magnitude fell dramatically as a result of being in western city
> lit part of sky and poor phase angle.
>
> (4) Cosmos 1305 produced about a dozen regular flashes to mag +2
before
> flashing stopped - low in western sky.
>
> (5) Attempted scan on May 7 but total equipment failure at switch on.
> Tried a manual scan but did not do too great a job as a bit off
> position. Did not think worthwhile measuring the ~dozen satellites
> seen as nothing was at the expected track angle. Problem repaired
> - blown serial port and a suspect power supply ( related?). Now
> operating on other serial port and an old computer power supply
which
> seems ideal for the task.
>
> (6) Now have to find an old Pentium 4 at about 300 Mhz as a standby in
> case the serial port blows. No sense in using a 1-2 Ghz PC as all
> that is needed is a pentium 4 running under DOS 6.2- Cosatrak
> program only occupies about 200K or even less and has to run
> under DOS . Now going to go and visit all my friends to see what
> they have in their "junk box" :-))
>
> Cheers
> Greg
>
>
>
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