Obs 18 Dec 2005 Part 1

From: Greg Roberts (grr@iafrica.com)
Date: Mon Dec 19 2005 - 11:18:49 EST

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    Observations 18 Dec 2005:(Part 1)
    -----------------------------------------
    
    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 145mm focal length f/2.5 lens,integrating for 128 frames
    which is equivalent to an exposure of 2.56 seconds per image.Time
    system GPS derived.Video stored on DVD R/W disk and kept for several
    months before being used again.
    
    Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude  33.94058 deg S,
    Elevation 10 metres - situated in Pinelands (Cape Town), South Africa
    
    
    21147 91 017A   0433 G 20051218182844100 56 15 0033343+194927 39  +020 05
    21147 91 017A   0433 G 20051218182939500 56 15 0105498+015841 39  +018 05
    21147 91 017A   0433 G 20051218183130400 56 15 0339203-534426 39  +013 05
    21147 91 017A   0433 G 20051218183210600 56 15 0531005-633738 39  +016 05
    22519 92 086C   0433 G 20051218183607100 56 15 0905317-560426 39  +045 05
    22519 92 086C   0433 G 20051218183638000 56 15 0814035-443552 39  +040 05
    22519 92 086C   0433 G 20051218183709600 56 15 0742376-321905 39  +045 05
    21798 91 082A   0433 G 20051218184756900 56 15 2007511-281034 39  +085 05
    21798 91 082A   0433 G 20051218184839500 56 15 2026136-194810 39  +082 05
    21798 91 082A   0433 G 20051218184927000 56 15 2042100-104314 39  +085 05
    28054 03 048A   0433 G 20051218185200500 56 15 1007140-581049 39  +060 05
    28054 03 048A   0433 G 20051218185245700 56 15 0925140-583950 39  +056 05
    28054 03 048A   0433 G 20051218185314700 56 15 0853022-581918 39  +055 05
    28054 03 048A   0433 G 20051218185448600 56 15 0650571-502503 39  +045 05
    13172 82 041C   0433 G 20051218191655100 56 15 0502313-483812 39  +050 05
    13172 82 041C   0433 G 20051218191800400 56 15 0343577-123700 39  +040 05
    13172 82 041C   0433 G 20051218191833700 56 15 0321013+040734 39  +035 05
    13172 82 041C   0433 G 20051218191919800 56 15 0258261+204115 39  +045 05
    91049 05 835A   0433 G 20051218192533900 56 15 0019250+060321 39  +105 05
    91049 05 835A   0433 G 20051218205951000 56 15 0153503+063721 39  +095 05
    90035 05 625A   0433 G 20051218193324000 56 15 0543582+051810 39  +095 05
    90035 05 625A   0433 G 20051218193611700 56 15 0546500+051815 39  +095 05
    27380 02 007A   0433 G 20051218193324000 56 15 0544281+051658 39  +100 05
    27380 02 007A   0433 G 20051218193611700 56 15 0547193+051619 39  +100 05
    22205 92 072A   0433 G 20051218193324000 56 15 0546388+050608 39  +090 05
    22205 92 072A   0433 G 20051218193611700 56 15 0549264+050758 39  +090 05
    21949 92 023A   0433 G 20051218202830600 56 15 1246534-661812 39  +065 05
    21949 92 023A   0433 G 20051218202938400 56 15 1102532-660647 39  +060 05
    21949 92 023A   0433 G 20051218203043400 56 15 0913543-590914 39  +055 05
    90005 99 804A   0433 G 20051218200130300 56 15 0556525+132957 39  +110 05
    22638 93 026A   0433 G 20051218201657900 56 15 1058218-722833 39  +100 05
    22638 93 026A   0433 G 20051218201756800 56 15 0858290-610639 39  +075 05
    22638 93 026A   0433 G 20051218201855600 56 15 0804570-430620 39  +080 05
    27938 03 041B   0433 G 20051218195037900 56 15 0348070+040504 39  +092 05
    90013 03 564A   0433 G 20051218193837100 56 15 0438030+120224 39  +075 05
    90008 00 838A   0433 G 20051218204848800 56 15 0413354-004353 39  +095 05
    90042 05 828A   0433 G 20051218205426900 56 15 0652199+054236 39  +120 05
    23305 94 064A   0433 G 20051218205426900 56 15 0652092+051957 39  +115 05
    
    Notes:
    ------
    (1) Last minute decision to track due to cirrus most of day.Cleared at
        sunset but came back a few hours later and forced me to stop.Seeing
        was good, as was the transparency (until the cirrus came).
    
    (2) Got two observations of my last geostationary unknown #91049 very
        close to Mike McCants/Scott Campbell's preliminary orbit so this
        one wont escape (unless its moved!) . (Note I made a mistake some
        time ago and have a high eccentricity unknown object also called
        #91049  - however unlikely that one will be seen again.)
    
    (3) Some confusion with #90035,#27380 (an Intelsat) and #22205 (Galaxy
        7). The latest elements show them all fairly close to one another
        but ,unless Ive misidentified which is which, GALAXY 7 is quite
        a distance from its predicted position and elements only 2 days
        old. GALAXY 7 is a drifter so I expect it to have disappeared from
        the area of #90035 next time I observe. Ive reported positions for
        all three objects in case of misidentification.
    
    (4) Did a search pattern for #90005 and found a geostionary with no
        known geostationary in the area so the object may well be #90005.
    
    (5) #90042 was rather faint, as was NSS703 ( an Intelsat) which are
        close together. I put this down to cirrus and I gave up observing
        after this as the moon was rising and showed a very streaky sky.
    
    (6) Still to report:
    
        NOSS 3-2 A and C
        NOSS 2-1 C, D and E
        NOSS 3-3 A and C
        NOSS 3-2 rocket
        NOSS 2-2 C, D and E
    
        plus some strays - nothing exciting.
    
    Cheers
    Greg
    
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