Observations 25 Nov 2008 Part 2 --------------------------------------- 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 sesnitivity 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 50mm focal length f/1.8 lens,integrating for 128 fields which is equivalent to a max exposure of 2.56 seconds maximum per image. Field of view 6.8 x 5.4 degrees. 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 but dark field applied. Used with 200mm focal length f/2.8 Nikkon telephoto lens, field of view 1.88 x 1.40 degrees. Can get to magnitude 13 or so in less than 20 seconds exposure. 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 S, Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa For CLASSFD.TLE: -------------------------- 25725 99 023B 0433 P 20081125190045400 56 15 0000560+090554 39 +020 05 Strays seen: -------------- SL-12 R/B(2), geostationary, variable 18578 87 096D 0433 P 20081125184508000 56 15 0231275+071757 39 +120 05 ARIANE 2 debri, range 27670 kms- thought it was unknown 23966 88 098F 0433 P 20081125212314000 56 15 0220227+083215 39 +095 05 23966 88 098F 0433 P 20081125212756000 56 15 0233347+084127 39 +095 05 23966 88 098F 0433 P 20081125213247000 56 15 0237586+085047 39 +095 05 ARIANE 42L R/B, geostationary,variable 22655 93 031C 0433 P 20081125212756000 56 15 0229284+072113 39 +090 05 GORIZONT 13, geostationary, variable 17083 86 090A 0433 P 20081125213247000 56 15 0240549+093302 39 +120 05 ARIANE 5 R/B, range 15350 kms, variable 27832 03 028C 0433 P 20081125185940000 56 15 0003273+100335 39 +100 05 ARABSAT 3A, geostationary 25638 99 009A 0433 P 20081125191834000 56 15 0146096+051528 39 +110 05 ARIANE 44 L, range 21530 kms 23867 96 030D 0433 P 20081125194100000 56 15 0008400+071137 39 +100 05 ARIANE 44L debri, range 16100kms, variable 20718 90 063D 0433 P 20081125194329000 56 15 0011368+063859 39 +090 05 RADUGA 1M-1, geostationary 32373 07 058A 0433 P 20081125194729000 56 15 0511574+051156 39 +110 05 INTELSAT 506, geostationary,variable 14077 83 047A 0433 P 20081125205052000 56 15 2212537-054143 39 +125 05 ARIANE 44P R/B 21727 91 067B 0433 P 20081125204805200 56 15 0125360+305808 39 +060 05 SL-3 R/B steady 08027 75 064B 0433 P 20081125184042300 56 15 0212380+074329 39 +030 05 COSMOS 1844, steady 14973 87 041A 0433 P 20081125190535600 56 15 2358570+105358 39 +035 05 SL-3 R/B steady 08800 76 032B 0433 P 20081125191242200 56 15 0048550+072010 39 +030 05 SL-8 R/B variable 09510 76 108B 0433 P 20081125191651500 56 15 0149070+033625 39 +035 05 SL-8 R/B variable 22208 92 073B 0433 P 20081125200256300 56 15 2129260-083742 39 +060 05 PSLV R/B variable 28050 03 046B 0433 P 20081125202446000 56 15 2153320-053620 39 +070 05 NSTAR A , geostationary, one brilliant slow flare to +2 mag 23651 95 044A 0433 P 20081125210048900 56 15 2305480+015543 39 +020 05 IUS R/B(1) steady 19970 89 033C 0433 P 20081125212157200 56 15 0217260+060023 39 +050 05 GORIZONT 17, geostationary, flashing every 30 seconds to mag +6 19765 89 004A 0433 P 20081125212218400 56 15 0215430+060903 39 +060 05 ATLAS 2AS Centaur, steady 26072 00 007B 0433 P 20081125212317700 56 15 0218500+072551 39 +060 05 Unknown 1 - drunk wayward bird? 00000 00 000LEO 0433 P 20081125202105600 56 15 1710320-820246 39 +080 05 00000 00 000LEO 0433 P 20081125202110600 56 15 1814290-802319 39 +080 05 00000 00 000LEO 0433 P 20081125202116500 56 15 1906550-775902 39 +080 05 Unknown 2 - leo? steady at +5 mag 91127 08 830LEO 0433 P 20081125211546600 56 15 2307360-002812 39 +055 05 91127 08 830LEO 0433 P 20081125211600200 56 15 2317260-004913 39 +055 05 91127 08 830LEO 0433 P 20081125211608700 56 15 2323480-010049 39 +055 05 91127 08 830LEO 0433 P 20081125211619200 56 15 2331400-011439 39 +055 05 Notes: ------ (1) Unknown 1 crossed field of view, rather faint,disappearing at times. Rough orbit gives i =36 degrees, period 87.2 min and height 140km which indicates not a satellite and most probably a bird. See a lot of them but usually several in a group. Another brilliant "unknown" was videotaped but not seen or heard (wasnt watching the particular monitor at the time) and looked like a "UFO mother ship" so, since Im under an aircraft flight path it was a passenger jet plane. (2) Unknown 2 - cant find a match in element database. Rough orbit gives i =29.7 degrees, period 103 minutes and height 925 kms and RA Node 130.6 degrees. Probably Ariane debri going over close to perigee so not running close to predictions ? Cheers Greg ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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