Observations 21 Sept 2006:
-------------------------------
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 70mm focal length f/1.2 lens,integrating for 128 frames
which is equivalent to an exposure of 2.56 seconds per image.
Field of view 3.7 x 4.7 degrees, can see stars in real time down to
about mag 11.
Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude 33.94058 deg S,
Elevation 10 metres - situated in Pinelands (Cape Town), South Africa
For CLASSIFIED.TLE:
-------------------------
28537 05 004A 0433 G 20060921171216100 56 15 2259591-323301 39 +035 05
28537 05 004A 0433 G 20060921171411100 56 15 0029269-412921 39 +040 05
28537 05 004A 0433 G 20060921171547500 56 15 0129375-432601 39 +045 05
28541 05 004C 0433 G 20060921171216100 56 15 2255370-312017 39 +035 05
28541 05 004C 0433 G 20060921171411100 56 15 0025073-405247 39 +040 05
28541 05 004C 0433 G 20060921171547500 56 15 0125448-430851 39 +045 05
90016 03 766A 0433 G 20060921173550300 56 15 1756092-020320 39 +090 05
90016 03 766A 0433 G 20060921174051300 56 15 1801320-020549 39 +090 05
25489 98 055A 0433 G 20060921174611900 56 15 0138194-471105 39 +085 05
25489 98 055A 0433 G 20060921174744400 56 15 0023096-292029 39 +080 05
25489 98 055A 0433 G 20060921174845300 56 15 2348147-142532 39 +085 05
28385 04 034B 0433 G 20060921175123400 56 15 2202187+220602 39 +045 05
28385 04 034B 0433 G 20060921175412700 56 15 2232077+042640 39 +040 05
28385 04 034B 0433 G 20060921175835000 56 15 2314011-162318 39 +040 05
90035 05 625A 0433 G 20060921180004900 56 15 2223202+051131 39 +095 05
24753 97 012A 0433 G 20060921181109600 56 15 1314438-440922 39 +075 05
24753 97 012A 0433 G 20060921181212600 56 15 1356104-313248 39 +078 05
24753 97 012A 0433 G 20060921181346200 56 15 1434444-112210 39 +090 05
21798 91 082A 0433 G 20060921183336900 56 15 1326080-374220 39 +085 05
21798 91 082A 0433 G 20060921183430700 56 15 1355477-280910 39 +090 05
28636 05 011A 0433 G 20060921183336900 56 15 1326433-373249 39 +090 05
28636 05 011A 0433 G 20060921183430700 56 15 1356155-280004 39 +095 05
90064 06 579A 0433 G 20060921184242400 56 15 1426521-370242 39 +090 05
90064 06 579A 0433 G 20060921184604200 56 15 1409260-534759 39 +085 05
90064 06 579A 0433 G 20060921184853100 56 15 1320161-684633 39 +085 05
90027 04 841A 0433 G 20060921190102000 56 15 2019033+393702 39 +087 05
90027 04 841A 0433 G 20060921191102300 56 15 2040155+335934 39 +080 05
90027 04 841A 0433 G 20060921191441000 56 15 2049465+312250 39 +075 05
25724 99 023A 0433 G 20060921191624800 56 15 1632183+040720 39 +070 05
25724 99 023A 0433 G 20060921192118700 56 15 1716104+110143 39 +068 05
25724 99 023A 0433 G 20060921192616300 56 15 1805422+194617 39 +070 05
Strays seen:
-----------------
Delta 2 rocket body
20303 89 085B 0433 G 20060921172211800 56 15 1718148-132820 39 +040 05
IUS rocket body
19970 89 033C 0433 G 20060921173351100 56 15 1734171-135001 39 +057 05
Delta 1 debri
21435 75 052DT 0433 G 20060921173758300 56 15 1759062-031658 39 +090 05
Genesis 1
29252 06 029A 0433 G 20060921175359500 56 15 2219550+055944 39 +040 05
Orbcomm FM22
25476 98 053B 0433 G 20060921175835000 56 15 2314054-153719 39 +090 05
Intelsat 904 geostationary close to #90035
27380 02 007A 0433 G 20060921180004900 56 15 2222363+051441 39 +095 05
Cosmos 2336
24677 96 071A 0433 G 20060921175852700 56 15 2225198+023402 39 +075 05
LS-14 rocket body
22283 92 092B 0433 G 20060921180457700 56 15 2228251+042628 39 +050 05
Fengyun 1D
27431 02 024B 0433 G 20060921181724000 56 15 1705270-260647 39 +042 05
SL-14 rocket body
23412 94 078B 0433 G 20060921182005200 56 15 1722402-253128 39 +050 05
Meteor 1-15
06659 73 034A 0433 G 20060921182101400 56 15 1707390-251919 39 +055 05
Midas 5
00271 62 010A 0433 G 20060921182120200 56 15 1720276-265105 39 +075 05
PSLV rocket body
23828 96 017B 0433 G 20060921192118700 56 15 1708312+110314 39 +080 05
Atlas Centaur rocket range 10600 kms - nice regular flasher
12363 81 018B 0433 G 20060921194748200 56 15 2048387+164142 39 +070 05
Ariane 42L rocket body range 21000 kms variable
25586 98 075B 0433 G 20060921205012000 56 15 2058460+141744 39 +100 05
Notes:
--------
(1) Observed ISS going over in daylight but no reference stars visible.
(2) XSS-11 less than 1 second ahead of DMSP B5D2-6. Quite surprised to
to be able to see it as elevation about 14 degrees and poor phase
angle but did a few flashes which enabled me to see it quite easily.
(3) #90064 produces short bright flashes for about a minute when phase
angle between 120 and 124 degrees.
(4) For my own records -- although a fast lens used I do not
particularly like it for following reasons:
Some vignetting during normal use which becomes quite objectionable
when doing long integrations. Bright stars are deformed but okay on
fainter stars. Seems to produce low contrast images and scale is
non-uniform. Particularly sensitive to variations in sky background
brightness. Reducing down to f/4.5 did not seem to improve the image
much with a slight loss in magnitude. Lens orignally used in a
hand video camera before days of CCD chips (ie used a vidicon tube).
Focus a bit "soft?"
(5) Trying to observe faint slow moving objects is currently difficult
as the milky way is now passing through overhead and the star trails
in integrated images "smother" faint objects - I prefer a LOT less
stars!
Cheers
Greg
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