Observations 12 Feb 2009
---------------------------------
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 sensitivity
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) 145mm focal length f/2.5 lens fitted to 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.
Image integrated for 2.56 seconds but exposure depends on sky background
brightness. Field of view 2.5 x 1.9 degrees and showing about mag +12
stars in "real time". Used as a finder for the 6 inch reflector.
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.
Used with 6 inch f/5 CELESTRON reflector modified to f/2.7 with home
made corrector lens.Field of view 55 by 40 arc minutes and showing
15th magnitude stars in real time.
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,
Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa
For CLASSFD.TLE:
----------------------------
96036 96 536A 0433 G 20090212213744000 56 15 0657261+120012 39 +095 05
96036 96 536A 0433 G 20090212214150000 56 15 0701311+114955 39 +095 05
96098 96 598A 0433 G 20090212213052000 56 15 0704413+200431 39 +150 05
96098 96 598A 0433 G 20090212213334000 56 15 0707270+195923 39 +150 05
96144 96 644A 0433 G 20090212222412000 56 15 0547211+154733 39 +135 05
96144 96 644A 0433 G 20090212222641000 56 15 0549513+153847 39 +100 05
96144 96 644A 0433 G 20090212222849000 56 15 0552011+153456 39 +110 05
96144 96 644A 0433 G 20090212223118000 56 15 0554305+153046 39 +105 05
96144 96 644A 0433 G 20090212223325000 56 15 0556385+152629 39 +110 05
91141 09 523A 0433 G 20090212193559000 56 15 1048074+050318 39 +160 05
91141 09 523A 0433 G 20090212194113000 56 15 1053229+050304 39 +160 05
Strays seen:
-------------------
ARIANE 44L DEBRI, range 8770 kms, mag +8 steady
27667 91 075C 0433 G 20090212213724000 56 15 0656531+120227 39 +085 05
TITAN 3C TRANSTAGE, range 35290 kms, geo drifter, mag +12.5
02868 67 066G 0433 G 20090212214150000 56 15 0703063+122603 39 +125 05
THAICOM 5 geostationary
29163 06 020B 0433 G 20090212193323000 56 15 1045053+050510 39 +100 05
THAICOM 2 geostationary
23314 94 065B 0433 G 20090212193323000 56 15 1045025+051056 39 +110 05
INMARSAT 4F2 geostationary, slight variability
28899 05 044A 0433 G 20090212214458000 56 15 0901033+052355 39 +085 05
BRIGHT UNKNOWN GEO DRIFTER:
-------------------------------------------------
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212195218000 56 15 1128104+044059 39 +040 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212195649000 56 15 1132434+043718 39 +040 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212200544000 56 15 1141418+043011 39 +045 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212200937000 56 15 1145355+042721 39 +040 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212202032000 56 15 1156339+041850 39 +040 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212202917000 56 15 1205213+041209 39 +040 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212205229000 56 15 1228419+035436 39 +045 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212210013000 56 15 1236292+034850 39 +040 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212210527000 56 15 1241453+034456 39 +040 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212211512000 56 15 1251330+033803 39 +045 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212212158000 56 15 1258207+033328 39 +040 05
91142 09 543A 0433 G 20090212212359000 56 15 1300223+033206 39 +040 05
RECENT PROTON LAUNCH:
--------------------------------------
EXPRESS AM-44 geostationary steady
33595 90 007A 0433 G 20090212215704000 56 15 0930281+050915 39 +105 05
33595 90 007A 0433 G 20090212215942000 56 15 0932559+050914 39 +105 05
XTAR-EUR geostationary
28542 05 005A 0433 G 20090212215704000 56 15 0930470+052828 39 +105 05
OBJECT B geostationary
33596 09 007B 0433 G 20090212220159000 56 15 1101146+052248 39 +105 05
33596 09 007B 0433 G 20090212220534000 56 15 1104549+052248 39 +105 05
GSAT2 geostationary
27807 03 018A 0433 G 20090212220159000 56 15 1101361+051912 39 +105 05
27807 03 018A 0433 G 20090212220534000 56 15 1105126+051926 39 +105 05
UNKNOWN geostationary
00000 00 000A 0433 G 20090212220159000 56 15 1101498+052253 39 +100 05
00000 00 000A 0433 G 20090212220534000 56 15 1105288+052241 39 +100 05
Notes:
---------
(1) Very HOT night-temperature around 33 deg C and caused the most vital
computer to cease operating. However eventually cooled a bit and it
was able to resume operation. Temporary failure still to be
investigated - either the CPU or graphics card shutting down.
(2) 91141 still drifting east and at elevation 18 degrees. Very difficult
and certainly the last night I will see it. Positions may be a bit
uncertain.
(3) ESA REPORT #11 released which identified some of the ESA objects
being tracked by amateurs under designation 96***. One of them is
96036 which is a lost INTELSAT and 96098 which is EKRAN 5. Several
new ESA satellites have now been added to the 96*** category
(4) #96036 - the lost INTELSAT - is easy and appeared steady.
#96098 - a lost EKRAN is much more difficult, being mostly fainter
than about magnitude +15 or so.
#96144 is the second stage rocket that accompanied the DELTA4DEMO
mission - it appears to be regularly flashing to about mag +10 but is
invisible in between flashes.
(5) The PROTON launch of a few days back. SPACETRACK has three objects
cataloged - the EXPRESS AM-44 satellite, OBJECT A which is in a
medium inclination highly eccentric orbit and doing just over 2
orbits per day, and an "unknown" object called OBJECT C. This mission
is supposed to have launched two communication satellites using a
new launch profile. Anyway the EXPRESS AM-44 payload was easily
observed but somewhat off track by about 4 minutes in time. OBJECT A
was not attempted. When OBJECT B was supposed to be three satellites
were seen of which 2 were identified as OBJECT B and GSAT1. The other
object apparently has not yet been cataloged. It obviously belongs
to OBJECT B as they share a similar motion as they drifted past
GSAT1. I have not given it a 91*** number as Im sure it will
eventually be cataloged by SPACETRACK.
(6) Now the new unknown - boy, was it bright! After looking at 91141 at
elevation 18 degrees I noticed a BIG BLOB in the video finder which
was a satellite. It faded slightly from its original +2 to +3
magnitude and hovered around the +4 to +4.5 magnitude range with
very slight variability. The elevation was 11 degrees and the
satellite is obviously moving very slowly westward. I have a pretty
good idea of what the satellite is but will leave that to our orbit
experts.
I think thats all.
Cheers
Greg
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