Top-priority objects of the BWGS

Bart De Pontieu (BDP@MPE.MPE-GARCHING.MPG.DE)
Tue, 10 Oct 1995 17:40:00 +0100 (CET)

High-priority objects of the Belgian Working Group Satellites
-------------------------------------------------------------

The Belgian Working Group Satellites has been active in collecting flash
period measurements since 1987. Our program is subdivided into several 
categories :

b       flashing object for beginners
d       difficult to measure
S       steady object, potentially flashing in the future
?       flash period is unknown or uncertain
-       long flash period (>40 s)
!       top-priority object
	regular object
x       additional code for DRA project

Our full program can be obtained at the archive, by sending a message
with Subject: archive get program/program.*
to SeeSat-L-request@iris01.plasma.mpe-garching.mpg.de

Here is an overview of the object which are 'top-priority', i.e. objects
of which we suspect that the flash period is changing in an atypical way.
Usually this means the rocket's rotation around its own axis is accelerating,
so that the flash period becomes shorter. This behaviour is not fully
understood, so detailed observations are very much needed. We always welcome
new observers. For more details on how to report/perform flash period 
measurements, contact me or Tristan Cools (addresses below), or check out
our Web-pages at this URL:  http://www.rzg.mpg.de/bwgs/bwgs.html

The following format is used :
LINE 1 : COSPAR-ID, priority code, number of observations, NORAD-number, name 
of satellite, remark on reason for top-priority.
LINE 2,3,4 : most recent observations in this format :
Date, Initials of observer, flash period in seconds, remarks about magnitude
and appearance.

65-  8 A !  37     1001/Transtage 3,Titan 3A: acceleration halted ?
95-02-02 MM   4.93  5.5-7, fl to 5    
95-02-10 MM   4.88                    
95-09-13 JEV  4.91            

74- 89 A !   1     7529/NOAA 4: only one observation; to be confirmed
94-01-03 RE   6               

78-109 J ! 242     11136/C1 Kosmos 1051-1058: newest J-object accelerator ?
94-12-27 MM  150    5-7.5             
95-01-04 LB  120    lp >120, mag 5->in
95-07-24 RO  17.2   +/-0.4 DBLE MAX   

79- 30 B ! 138     11327/C1 Kosmos 1092: going down again ?
95-07-24 WV   5.77                    
95-08-16 JEV  6.81                    
95-08-20 JEV  6.25                  

81-116 J ! 530     12983/C1 Kosmos 1320-1327: accelerating ?
95-07-15 RO  21.0   +/-0.3 MAG 7 TO IN
95-08-02 LB         almost S, mag 6   
95-08-08 LB  16.08  AA, mag 4->inv    

84-109 B ! 133x    15360/C1 Kosmos 1605: global decrease; to be followed
95-06-27 DC  11.90  A'fA'->AA, mag 5->
95-07-02 WN   6.05  C* 1605 r, some ir
95-07-16 TC  12.6   FF, mag +4        

85- 11 B ! 107     15506/C1 Kosmos 1627: probably going down
95-04-02 BD  41.5                     
95-05-01 RO  48     mag 7 to 10       
95-08-22 JEV 40.3                    

85-116 B ! 109     16369/C1 Kosmos 1709: last obs S
94-12-01 MM         6, S 70 sec       
95-02-21 LB   7.70  AA, mag 4->5      
95-07-24 KD         S           

86-  2 J !  30     16457/C1 Kosmos 1716-1723: to be followed closely
95-02-24 MM         8-inv, slow var   
95-05-02 RO  37     mag 8 to 10       
95-05-04 PW         steady            

87- 49 B !  16     18096/C1 Kosmos 1850: accelerated acc to BD, MM and RO
95-07-22 WV  21                       
95-07-23 KD  21                       
95-07-25 WV         S, mag +6         

87- 57 B !  53     18161/C1 K1864: accelerated
95-07-21 RO   7.62  +/-0.05 CPLEX     
95-07-23 WV   7.53                    
95-07-24 WV   7.61                   

87- 98 B !  31     18586/C1 Kosmos 1898: still going down ? 
95-04-02 BD  32.5   4.5-6.0           
95-07-02 RE  20                       
95-09-15 JEV 26.5   broad max; min   

88- 16 J ! 235     18945/C1 Kosmos 1924-1931: accelerating ?
95-04-14 MM         S, 5.5            
95-05-23 RO  42     ? mag 5           
95-05-23 RO  42     ? mag 5           

89- 28 B !  99     19922/C1 Kosmos 2016: dtm 
95-05-21 FD  31.3                     
95-06-26 DC  28     MM, mag 5->7      
95-08-23 WN  39     C* 2016 r, F'F'   

90-  4 B ! 196     20433/C1 Kosmos 2056: accelerated again, seen by BD
95-07-24 WV   7.73                    
95-07-25 KD         S                 
95-07-25 MR         S              

90-111 B !  28     21015/C1 Kosmos 2112: flash period is rising again
95-05-06 PW   8.33                    
95-05-06 PW   8.33                    
95-09-16 JEV 10.83               

91-  9 J ! 469     21108/C1 Kosmos 2125-2132 debris: acceleration or scatter ?
95-04-02 LB  45.3   Aa, mag 4(5)->inv 
95-04-08 LB  24.0   aA, mag 5(4)->inv 
95-08-19 LB  23.23  AA, mag 5->inv    

91- 13 B ! 190     21131/C1 Kosmos 2135: going down ? to be checked 
95-07-31 LB  36.2   AA, mag 4->7      
95-08-08 LB  18.0   Ff, mag 4(5)->inv 
95-08-16 TC  27.8   AA, mag max +5    

92-  8 B ! 108x    21876/C1 Kosmos 2180: still going down !
95-08-02 LB   8.59  AA, mag 5->7      
95-08-23 WN   9.11  C* 2180 r, F'f'F' 
95-08-28 JEV 17.4

92- 12 B !  93     21903/C1 Kosmos 2181: short period
95-05-06 RO  11     very complex      
95-05-21 LB   3.16  FF, mag 4->6      
95-05-21 LB   3.16  FF, mag 4->6      

92- 20 B ! 157     21938/C1 Kosmos 2184: probably going down
95-05-07 BD  42     +4.5-inv          
95-05-27 RO  44     mag 6 to 9        
95-05-27 RO  44     mag 6 to 9        

Finally an overview of our observers of September 1995 :

JEV:    Jim Varney, Sacramento, California, USA
JDW:    Jean De Weerdt, Gistel, Belgium
JHR:    Jay Respler, New Jersey, USA
JVS:    Jan Van Steelandt, Gistel, Belgium
KD:     Kurt Dequick, Bredene, Belgium  
KJ:     Kurt Jonckheere, Oostende, Belgium
LB:     Leo Barhorst, Alkmaar, The Netherlands  
MR:     Mike Rosseel, Belgium

Total number of observations: 113

Cheers,
    Bart De Pontieu (bdp@mpe.mpe-garching.mpg.de)
    & Tristan Cools (tcools@nic.INbe.net)