Re: Unidentified geosats

From: Bram Dorreman (bram.dorreman@gmail.com)
Date: Sun Oct 29 2006 - 19:34:47 EST

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    2006/10/24, Tristan Cools <tristan.cools@gmail.com>:
    > On the evening of september 24 after swimming . . .
    > First I thought it was a distant slowly moving satellite but it seemed
    > that the flashes were comming from at least 3 different satellites.
    > Some flashes were brighter then others but they were easy visible.  I
    > guess that some flashes were spaced with some 20s, some of them less
    > some of them more.  I didn't have the time nor the means to make a
    > more precise observation.  I guess it was around 22h local time which
    > is GMT-3 I think.
    >
    > Here are the observation coordinates: 4deg11min52.90s N   52deg22min20.70s W
    
    Using Guide 8 and TLE's from September 25, 2006
    I found several satellites that might be Tristan's objects.
    
    Tristan mentioned 22:00 local time, this is 01:00 UT.
    So date is the next day, i.e. September 25, 2006.
    
    In table below are shown all(?) (near) geostationary
    satellites seen from:
    location 4° 11' 52.9" N, 52° 22' 20.7" W
    at 2006-09-25 01:00 UT
    with elevation > 75°
    
    The columns are:
    Sat: satellite ID in format yynnnc
    el:  elevation (in °)
    az:  azimuth (°, N = 0°)
    d:   distance between observer and satellite (km)
    name: popular name
    cn:  NORAD catalog number
    
    sat          el      az    d      name          cn
    95013A 84.3 148.9 35821 Intelsat 705  23528
    95016A 74.5 252.0 35985 Brasilsat B2 23536
    96002A 77.8 113.4 35914 PAS 3R       23764
    96015A 85.1 186.8 35814 Intelsat 707  23816
    97040A 81.3 126.2 36029 PAS 6         24891
    97059A 78.3 245.4 35901 Echostar 3   25004
    98014A 75.1 108.7 35971 NSS 806      25239
    98037A 84.0 215.6 35827 Intelsat 805  25371
    98075A 77.9 113.6 35913 PAS 6B       25585
    00043A 81.9 233.0 35846 PAS 9         26451
    00072A 79.9 118.9 35870 PAS 1R      26608
    03033A 78.1 245.9 35904 Rainbow 1   27852
    04001A 76.7 248.7 35936 Estrela du Sol 28137
    04031A 78.9 244.1 35896 Amazonas   28393
    05044A 86.8 186.0 35803 Inmarsat-4 2 28899
    
    None of these satellites has been reported in the PPAS.
    This means none of them is known as being flashing.
    
    Bram Dorreman
    COSPAR 4160
    51° 16' 45.5" N 5° 28' 36.6" E (WGS84) 35 m
    
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